Extracted 23/7/2008
Hansard -
Flood Control
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make a statement on his plans for restructuring of internal drainage boards; and what assessment he has made of the effects of the restructuring on maintenance and dredging of watercourses in England. [220022]
Mr. Woolas: I have asked internal drainage boards (IDBs) to consider a move to sub-catchment management to achieve a better integrated approach towards the management of catchments and coastal systems.
The concept of sub-catchment management is based on managing water levels throughout a whole catchment to achieve a reduction in the risk of flooding to people, property, businesses, infrastructure, high quality agricultural land and to maintain and improve favourable conditions for environmentally sensitive areas.
Once re-organised on a sub-catchment basis, IDBs will be larger, better resourced, will benefit from economies of scale and will be better placed to strategically plan, prioritise and deliver appropriate maintenance of watercourses. They will also be better able to contribute a strategic view to the future development of high level plans, including catchment flood management plans and river basin management plans.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many engineers are employed by (a) the Environment Agency in England and (b) internal drainage boards in England; and how many people will be employed by internal drainage boards after the restructuring programme is completed. [220023]
Mr. Woolas: The Environment Agency estimates that it employs around 200 chartered and incorporated engineers with experience in civil, mechanical and electrical engineering but recognises that this list is not comprehensive.
DEFRA does not record the information on Internal Drainage Board engineers.
Flood Control: Somerset
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has been spent by the Environment Agency and its predecessor bodies on flood risk management in the Somerset Levels and Moors flood plain since 1987; and how much of that money was spent on (a) dedicated water management for nature conservation and (b) protection of special protection areas and sites of scientific interest. [219931]
Mr. Woolas: The overall cost of Flood Risk Management for the Somerset Levels and Moors area from 1987 to the current date is £28.1 million. The costs include elements of schemes and strategies that cover a larger area than the Levels and Moors but could not be separated.
The costs associated with raised water level areas protecting sites of special scientific interest (SSSI) within the Somerset Levels and Moors since 1987 are £1.6 million, which includes construction and maintenance expenditure.
Schemes were also undertaken where the primary driver is the DEFRA Public Service Agreement Target 3, which states that 95 per cent. of all SSSIs must be in favourable or favourable recovering condition by 2010. These SSSIs also form part of the Somerset Levels and Moors Special Protection Area and the Environment Agency's work helps to protect the integrity of the internationally important sites under the Habitats Regulation 1994.
The Greylake Sluice and Oath Tidal Sluice schemes have both been replaced with new structures that allow greater flexibility in the control of water level management at a cost of £6.5 million combined. Similar work has also been carried out on a number of smaller structures at a combined cost of £3.5 million. Additional small schemes are also planned in the future. The costs formulated are only those of the Environment Agency.
Flooding Lessons Learned Review
Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made towards publishing an action plan for the implementation of the recommendations made in the Pitt report. [220464]
Mr. Woolas: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Hilary Benn) on 17 July 2008, Official Report, column 393.
Flooding: Gloucestershire
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2008, Official Report, column 29W, on flooding: Gloucestershire, if he will direct the Environment Agency to undertake repair work on the Glynbridge Gardens side of the River Chelt. [220509]
Mr. Woolas
[holding answer 21 July 2008]: The Environment Agency is
repairing the river banks on the
George Reading Wayside of the River Chelt because a flood defence wall
is at risk of collapsing. There are no flood defences on the Glynbridge
Gardens side of the river and responsibility for maintenance lies with
the riparian owner. Therefore, I will not direct the Environment Agency
to undertake such work.
However, I will request that the riparian owner undertakes this work.