Committee publication · Correspondence · 9 June 2025 · HC 550
Letter from the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, responding to the Committee's 28 May 2025 letter on flood budget, dated 5 June 2025
From: Environmental Audit Committee
Inquiry: Flood resilience in England
Summary
Steve Reed, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, responds to the Environmental Audit Committee's 28 May inquiry on UK flood preparedness. He confirms £2.65 billion investment over two years, clarifies funding timelines (2024/25–2025/26, not 2025–27), outlines economic benefits of flood defence investment (£5 prevented damage per £1 invested), and commits £140 million to restart 29 stalled projects protecting 52,000 properties by March 2026.
Key findings
- Government has committed £2.65 billion over two years for flood resilience, supporting 1,000 flood schemes and protecting 52,000 properties by March 2026
- For every £1 invested in new flood defences, damages prevented total £5, with around £2 in direct Exchequer savings (36% of flood damages affect publicly owned infrastructure)
- £140 million allocated from the settlement to restart 29 stalled flood projects to protect affected communities
- Funding announced 31 March 2025 covers financial years 2024/25 and 2025/26; future funding (April 2026 onwards) to be announced as part of current Spending Review
- Government developing a cross-cutting 10-year infrastructure strategy with flood risk management as key objective to build resilience to climate-related threats
Tone
ProceduralTopics
Key actors
Steve Reed OBE MP, Toby Perkins MP, Environmental Audit Committee, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), Flood Resilience Taskforce, Minister Hardy
Notable line
“For every £1 invested in new flood defences the damages prevented are £5, of which around £2 are direct savings to the Exchequer.”
Key Quotes
“Protecting communities, homes and businesses is our priority, and this is more important than ever as climate change brings more extreme weather to the nation.”
“The £2.65 billion two- year settlement is a record investment in flood resilience, supporting 1,000 flood schemes and better protecting 52,000 properties by March”
“For every £1 invested in new flood defences the damages prevented are £5, of which around £2 are direct savings to the Exchequer.”
“We are also making available £140 million from this money to drive forward 29 stalled projects, ensuring nearby communities are protected as soon as possible.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗