Written questions by Lowe.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether there are plans to review the policy approach for Policy Unit 6.14 under Shoreline Management Plan 6, including the Winterton‑on‑Sea to Scratby coastline.

The Kelling Hard to Lowestoft Shoreline Management Plan (SMP6), covering Winterton-on-Sea to Scratby, was adopted by Great Yarmouth Borough Council (GYBC) in 2012. The plan was developed by a partnership led by North Norfolk District Council, with GYBC, Waveney District Council (now East Suffolk), the Environment Agency (EA) and Natural England. High-level economic appraisal informed policy development and is published within the plan and Appendix H. GYBC is the Risk Management Authority for the erodible coast between Winterton-on-Sea and Scratby, including Hemsby, and is best placed to carry out detailed assessments of coastal risk management options, costs and benefits using local knowledge and data. In 2018, GYBC published a high-level review of options for managing coastal erosion at Hemsby. The EA recognises the technical and economic challenges associated with providing coastal protection at Hemsby.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether cost‑benefit analyses for managed realignment on the Winterton‑on‑Sea to Scratby coastline within Policy Unit 6.14 include consideration of social, health, and community impacts on affected residents, in addition to economic and environmental factors.

The Kelling Hard to Lowestoft Shoreline Management Plan (SMP6), covering Winterton-on-Sea to Scratby, was adopted by Great Yarmouth Borough Council (GYBC) in 2012. The plan was developed by a partnership led by North Norfolk District Council, with GYBC, Waveney District Council (now East Suffolk), the Environment Agency (EA) and Natural England. High-level economic appraisal informed policy development and is published within the plan and Appendix H. GYBC is the Risk Management Authority for the erodible coast between Winterton-on-Sea and Scratby, including Hemsby, and is best placed to carry out detailed assessments of coastal risk management options, costs and benefits using local knowledge and data. In 2018, GYBC published a high-level review of options for managing coastal erosion at Hemsby. The EA recognises the technical and economic challenges associated with providing coastal protection at Hemsby.

Food and Rural Affairs, what cost‑benefit analyses or appraisal work were undertaken in support of the policy approach for Policy Unit 6.14 under Shoreline Management Plan 6, and to what extent the views of local residents and businesses were considered and weighted within those assessments.

The Kelling Hard to Lowestoft Shoreline Management Plan (SMP6), covering Winterton-on-Sea to Scratby, was adopted by Great Yarmouth Borough Council (GYBC) in 2012. The plan was developed locally by the East Anglia Coastal Group; led by North Norfolk District Council, with GYBC, Waveney District Council (now East Suffolk), the Environment Agency and Natural England, and included local consultation. High-level economic appraisal informed policy development and is published within the plan and Appendix H. Full details of the stakeholder engagement undertaken can be found in Appendix B of the published document. Ref: Kelling Hard to Lowestoft SMP6 | Shoreline Management Plans.

Food and Rural Affairs, what support is available to residents whose homes are lost to coastal erosion where long‑term defence is not viable.

We are committed to supporting coastal communities and ensuring coastal risk management is fit for the challenges we face now and in the future. That is why, in January, we announced the £30 million Coastal Adaptation Pilots. Up to £18 million of this will be shared across projects in the East Riding of Yorkshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk supporting advanced adaptation work, including selective property purchases and long-term financing solutions. The Environment Agency will continue to work closely with Great Yarmouth Borough Council to prepare for delivery from Winter 2026. A Coastal Erosion Assistance Grant of £6,000 per property is also available for local authorities to support the prompt and safe demolition of homes at greatest risk of loss from erosion. In exceptional circumstances, supported by strong evidence, a local authority may make a case for a higher level of grant support. In addition, local authorities are responsible for providing homelessness assistance and temporary accommodation in some circumstances.

Food and Rural Affairs, what cost‑benefit assessments have been undertaken to support decisions on managed realignment for the Winterton‑on‑Sea to Scratby section of Shoreline Management Plan 6.

The Kelling Hard to Lowestoft Shoreline Management Plan (SMP6), covering Winterton-on-Sea to Scratby, was adopted by Great Yarmouth Borough Council (GYBC) in 2012. The plan was developed by a partnership led by North Norfolk District Council, with GYBC, Waveney District Council (now East Suffolk), the Environment Agency (EA) and Natural England. High-level economic appraisal informed policy development and is published within the plan and Appendix H. GYBC is the Risk Management Authority for the erodible coast between Winterton-on-Sea and Scratby, including Hemsby, and is best placed to carry out detailed assessments of coastal risk management options, costs and benefits using local knowledge and data. In 2018, GYBC published a high-level review of options for managing coastal erosion at Hemsby. The EA recognises the technical and economic challenges associated with providing coastal protection at Hemsby.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the exemption from stunning for religious slaughter on the Food Standards Agency's inspection and enforcement costs.

The Food Standards Agency apply animal welfare controls within approved slaughterhouses in England and Wales under a Service Level Agreement with the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and the Welsh Government. We assess the impact of inspection and enforcement requirements on costs as part of the annual process of reviewing the Service Level Agreement. The Agreement applies to all of FSA’s monitoring and enforcement of the relevant animal welfare requirements, and does not consider slaughter without stunning separately.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many nights were spent in hotels by Departmental staff in financial year 2024-25 by the star rating of the hotel.

The total number of nights spent by Departmental staff in all hotels in 2024-25 was 28,905. The information requested on hotel star ratings is not held and to obtain it would incur disproportionate costs.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many civil servants employed by their Department work in roles primarily focused on (a) transgender policy, (b) diversity, (c) equity and (d) inclusion; and at what annual salary cost.

The team responsible for policies relating to equity, diversity, and inclusion do not align roles to single protected characteristics. As of 31 December 2025, there were six employees (with a full-time equivalent of 6.0) on payroll in this team. The annual salary for the six employees totalled £302,927.

Food and Rural Affairs, what the cost to the public purse was of feasibility studies conducted by their Department for projects that did not proceed in the last five years.

The information requested is not held centrally and to obtain it would incur disproportionate costs.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department is taking steps to help support pubs in sourcing and promoting British-produced food and drink.

The food strategy recognises the key role that regional and local food systems can play in supporting delivery of the growth, health, sustainability, and food security/ resilience outcomes. Defra wants to create an environment that champions UK food cultures and celebrates British food. The strategy is an opportunity to celebrate the food we make which is uniquely British, combining our heritage and the expertise and innovation of our food businesses. Connecting local communities can be a key vehicle for achieving this outcome and for harnessing a stronger food culture.

Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate her Department has made of the potential economic impact of coastal erosion in Hemsby on (a) tourism, (b) local employment and (c) local tax revenues.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council are the Risk Management Authority (RMA) for the Hemsby area. They are best placed, using local knowledge and data, to continue making detailed risk assessments, including for the potential economic impacts. To support all RMA’s, the Environment Agency have developed and published the new National Coastal Erosion Risk Mapping which has been in place since 2011, updated in 2017 and most recently received a major update in 2025.

Food and Rural Affairs, what the most recent estimate is of the number of businesses in Hemsby at risk of loss to coastal erosion within (i) 5 and (ii) 10 years.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council are the Risk Management Authority (RMA) for the Hemsby area. They are best placed, using local knowledge and data, to continue making detailed risk assessments, including for the potential economic impacts. To support all RMA’s, the Environment Agency have developed and published the new National Coastal Erosion Risk Mapping which has been in place since 2011, updated in 2017 and most recently received a major update in 2025.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the steps her Department is taking to consider (a) displacement costs, (b) temporary accommodation costs and (c) local authority rehousing pressures when deciding on new coastal erosion management projects.

Coastal management is delivered through collaboration between the Environment Agency, local authorities and a range of partners. Defra retains overall policy responsibility for flood and coastal erosion risk management (FCERM) in England, while local authorities lead on managing coastal erosion. Projects within the Coastal Transition Accelerator Programme are assessing the costs and benefits of proactive coastal transition measures in coastal communities. This includes evaluating socio-economic benefits such as reduced temporary accommodation costs, lower mental health impacts, and decreased financial pressures on councils. Under the Government’s new funding policy, economic assessments of FCERM projects may include additional by-product benefits beyond flood or erosion reduction. In addition, the Environment Agency’s FCERM appraisal guidance recommends that, when assessing the economic impacts of a project, indirect damages avoided should be taken into account. Indirect damages typically include costs such as displacement and temporary accommodation.

Food and Rural Affairs, what (a) coastal modelling, (b) geomorphical studies and (c) monitoring programmes the Environment Agency has commissioned in relation to Hemsby since 2020.

The Environment Agency was a partner in the development and publication of the Shoreline Management Plan for northeast Norfolk: Kelling Hard to Lowestoft SMP6 | Shoreline Management Plans. In 2018/19, the Environment Agency worked with the Anglian Regional Flood and Coastal Committee to provide local levy funding to Great Yarmouth Borough Council to undertake a high-level study of options for the Hemsby coastal erosion issues. The Environment Agency’s Anglian Coastal Monitoring Programme (ACMP) undertakes detailed coastal monitoring of the coastline which began in 1991. The ACMP team works closely with Risk Management Authorities, including Great Yarmouth Borough Council staff, to refine monitoring to meet their local needs. In January 2025 the Environment Agency published an update to the National Coastal Erosion Risk Mapping online.  The new mapping includes data from the National Coastal Monitoring Programme (NCMP), which includes coastal assets, beach profiles, bathymetry, aerial photography, LiDAR and coastal habitats.   All coastal monitoring data, reports and analysis are available as open data on the coastal monitoring website ( Programmes - Welcome).

Food and Rural Affairs, what the current Shoreline Management Plan policy is for the Hemsby coastline; and what the evidential basis was for selecting that policy.

In January 2025 the Environment Agency published the new Shoreline Management Plan Explorer.  The documentation associated with preferred policies can be found in the SMP Main Report: Kelling Hard to Lowestoft SMP6 | Shoreline Management Plans. The management approach for Hemsby’s coast is “managed realignment”. This has been developed locally by the East Anglia Coastal Group and included local consultation. The policy development and engagement documents can be found in the appendices. Appendix A, SMP Development Stages 2 and 3, pages 9-17, provide detailed information regarding the policy development process.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the cost-benefit ratio in relation to (a) maintaining current shoreline management policy outcomes at Hemsby and (b) alternative policies involving additional coastal defences.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council are the Risk Management Authority (RMA) for the Hemsby area. They are best placed, using local knowledge and data, to undertake detailed assessments of risk management options along with their costs and benefits. In 2018/19, the Anglian Regional Flood and Coastal Committee provided local levy funding to Great Yarmouth Borough Council to undertake a high-level study of options for the Hemsby coastal erosion issues.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the current and projected rate of coastal affecting Hemsby, Norfolk over the next (i) 5, (ii) 10 and (iii) 25 years.

In January 2025 the Environment Agency published the new National Coastal Erosion Risk Mapping (NCERM) on ‘Check coastal erosion risk for an area in England’ and Shoreline Management Plan Explorer. The new NCERM dataset is openly accessible via data.gov.uk. It provides the most comprehensive and up-to-date national overview of current and future coastal erosion risks across England. The Environment Agency worked with local authorities, who supplied local data and verified outputs across the country. The mapping for properties located at Hemsby can be accessed here: Winterton-on-Sea (South of Beach Road) to Scratby 6.14 | Shoreline Management Plans. Erosion projection lines can be added to the map, both with present day climate change projections and those with upper/higher projections to 2055 and 2105. The ‘customise map display’ button allows access to this spatial data, and the desired projection can be selected for display on the map.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of how her Department's proposed funding reforms will impact coastal communities with high proportions of (a) small businesses, (b) seasonal tourism employment, and (c) non-standard housing such as holiday chalets.

On 14 October 2025, following consultation, the Government announced major changes to its flood and coastal erosion funding policy. The reforms will make it quicker and easier to deliver flood defences by simplifying our funding rules, and optimising funding between building new flood projects and maintaining existing defences. Under the new rules, projects will be prioritised by their benefit-to-cost ratios to drive value for money. Projects are developed in line with HM Treasury Green Book guidance and FCERM Appraisal Guidance and capture a wide range of benefits including those related to private properties (including holiday chalets with a fixed address), businesses, heritage, environment, recreation, and tourism. All schemes must achieve a benefit cost ratio of greater than one to receive Defra grant in aid. The new rules give equal weighting to different types of benefits, which will help coastal areas where under the old rules, benefits such as those from recreation attracted lower weightings. The list of projects to receive Government funding will be agreed in the usual way, on an annual basis, through the Environment Agency’s annual refresh process, with local representation.

Food and Rural Affairs, what (a) financial support and (b) support for (i) relocation, (ii) purchase of replacement housing and (iii) compensation for loss of property value is available to households in Hemsby whose properties are lost to coastal erosion.

The Environment Agency administers and assures the coastal erosion assistance grant (CEAG) on behalf of Defra. A grant of £6,000 per property is available to support the prompt and safe demolition of homes at greatest risk of loss from erosion. Local authorities can apply for the grant to help with the costs associated with demolishing residential property at risk of loss and basic moving costs if appropriate. Great Yarmouth Borough Council is a partner in the £8 million Resilient Coasts project – part of the Government’s £150 million Flood and Coastal Resilience Innovation Programme. This project is developing new, innovative methods to build resilience and help communities adapt to flooding and coastal erosion. The local project team are trialling new mechanisms to create a self-sustaining fund to help communities at risk of coastal erosion.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to assess the potential impact of new flood and coastal erosion risk management schemes on (a) primary residences, (b) second homes, (c) holiday chalets and (d) small businesses.

On 14 October 2025, following consultation, the Government announced major changes to its flood and coastal erosion funding policy. The reforms will make it quicker and easier to deliver flood defences by simplifying our funding rules, and optimising funding between building new flood projects and maintaining existing defences. Under the new rules, projects will be prioritised by their benefit-to-cost ratios to drive value for money. Projects are developed in line with HM Treasury Green Book guidance and FCERM Appraisal Guidance and capture a wide range of benefits including those related to private properties (including holiday chalets with a fixed address), businesses, heritage, environment, recreation, and tourism. All schemes must achieve a benefit cost ratio of greater than one to receive Defra grant in aid. The new rules give equal weighting to different types of benefits, which will help coastal areas where under the old rules, benefits such as those from recreation attracted lower weightings. The list of projects to receive Government funding will be agreed in the usual way, on an annual basis, through the Environment Agency’s annual refresh process, with local representation.