Speeches by Buckley.

“It is just about balancing that off with them being stuck with a much higher bill or the problem of how we pay for it. I will move on to the question that I was supposed to ask you, which is for Megan. We have heard from various witnesses that landlords, lots of businesses and some long-term residents struggle to acces…”

“Yes, absolutely. It is a positive that we are being clearer and more honest about the level of risk, which then enables those property owners to be able to take more measures and be more realistic.”

“I am very interested in your description that those who are floodable benefit through Flood Re, and those who are not pay a premium. Since DEFRA has combined its fantastic maps, which demonstrate both pluvial and fluvial flooding in one combined map, that has radically increased the number of homes that are now describ…”

“Is there a need for a clear organisation with that role? This would be a good moment to make any recommendations.”

“I would go further on that—that is exactly the question that I was going to ask you. We have this gap now on flood insurance for businesses. The work that you have done and that you are proposing, and that we are trying to encourage, is, effectively, squaring off their risk. Where the public invest in successful flood …”

“That is the thing that you have done differently. Now, on to the question I was supposed to ask, before the Chair notices: Jonathan Moxon, you have previously indicated that securing direct funding from private businesses is particularly difficult. Could you tell us what you think the main barriers are? Is it uncertain…”

“Moving beyond our boundaries is the only way we are going to do this.”

“That is incredible. That is a really powerful statement. You are talking about how schemes take eight years to get together. In seven years, that will have paid for itself and you have gone from 69% risk to 0.5%.”

“Your evidence is really compelling. We have been waiting a long time to hear a success story and I find it fascinating. I am going to sneak in an extra question, if I may, to Matthew Shelton about the pride you have in the scheme that you have turned around. You talked about how the business case votes for itself and y…”

“We need to be able to use your example as a case study. I would like your permission for us to do that, because we need to be able to demonstrate to other parts of the country that this is doable and pays for itself. We need to get past that silo thinking. This Committee did a trip to the Netherlands, where we heard ho…”

“I was really interested in your description that we have an opportunity here with the new build to get that resilience, both in the fabric and in the design. We have had lots of discussions from the water infrastructure industry around asset management. I would be curious to hear what you think about the idea of incent…”

“We have just talked about the map that DEFRA has published, which shows how much more of the country is now at risk of flood, not just from rivers such as the River Severn, but from groundwater flooding. That map is extensive. What we cannot keep saying is that this is a small group of people who have to live with thei…”

“They have taken resilience measures.”

“Could I ask you to give me some advice, please, for House Coffee in Longden Coleham, Shrewsbury? It has been flooded twice, and its current quote is for £40,000 if it would like to be insured. What advice can you give me to give them when I go home to Shrewsbury?”

“Presumably, you made that judgment for residents, but you are saying that the same judgment does not apply to businesses.”

“Why? If residents currently subsidise residents, why would you not ask businesses to subsidise businesses? Why would you change that model?”

“Do you mean build back better—the idea that they build back to a standard that, in itself, is more resilient?”

“I am going to ask the same question of you, Mr Shepherd, and hope that you are going to give me a much more positive answer, as somebody who cares about businesses that are not able to get insurance against flooding.”

“Do you care that businesses cannot get cover? Your whole life’s work is to help people who are flooded to get insurance, and yet businesses that are employing people do not qualify.”

“Could I ask the same of you, Martin? How big is this problem in practice—these businesses and various types of residents who fall outside of the current Flood Re, but are not insurable?”