Flood Control
Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which flood defence schemes that were in the planning stage and published by the Environment Agency in 2010-11 have (a) started and (b) not started. [106550]
Richard Benyon: In 2010-11, 137 flood and coastal erosion schemes were in the planning stage i.e. they had some funding for project development but no construction contract had yet been awarded. Of these, 98 schemes are progressing in 2012-13, or have already completed (listed in Table A as follows), 38 schemes have either not yet started or will no longer proceed (listed in Tables B and C as follows), and one scheme was reclassified as primarily delivering navigation benefits.
11 Jun 2012 : Column 320W
Of the 38 schemes not yet started or no longer proceeding:
Seven schemes have not yet progressed because business case approval was not obtained in time for the 2012-13 allocations of funding, and one scheme is awaiting modelling outputs. Six schemes have been identified as regional priorities by regional flood and coastal committees and work is progressing to identify funding to allow them to proceed. These 14 schemes are listed in Table B.
16 schemes offered less benefit compared to other schemes and will either be deferred to later years or will need additional contributions to proceed. The remaining eight schemes either did not pass minimum requirements to qualify for national funding or were no longer needed following project appraisal. These 24 schemes are listed in Table C.
The Government will spend £2.17 billion on managing the risk of flooding and coastal erosion over this spending period (April 2011 to March 2015). Estimates show that risk management authorities are on track to exceed the goal of better protecting 145,000 homes by March 2015.
Link to Hansard source http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm120611/text/120611w0011.htm