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Select Committee · Environmental Audit Committee

Flood resilience in England

Status: Open Opened: 10 Dec 2024 24 recommendations 15 conclusions 1 report

The Environmental Audit Committee is undertaking an inquiry on flood resilience in England, focusing on how flood resilience can be strengthened in response to increasing risks from extreme weather, rising sea levels, and evolving flood hazards. Read the call for evidence for more information about this inquiry, and to find out how to submit written …

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Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
4th Report – Flood resilience in England HC 550 13 Oct 2025 39 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

1 item
31 Conclusion 4th Report – Flood resilience in England Acknowledged

Local flood groups and volunteers are undervalued, underfunded, and inadequately supported.

Local flood groups and volunteers are indispensable to England’s resilience, yet they remain undervalued, underfunded, and poorly supported. Without proper recognition and resources, this community capacity risks collapsing at the very moment it is most needed. (Conclusion, Paragraph 108)

Government response. The government acknowledges the value of local flood groups and agrees on the need for improved support and coordination for communities at risk. It commits to taking these recommendations forward through a Floods Resilience Taskforce action group in 2026, which …

Oral evidence sessions

5 sessions
Date Witnesses
9 Jul 2025 Dr Sebastian Catovsky · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Emma Hardy MP · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Philip Duffy · Environment Agency View ↗
11 Jun 2025 Emma Brown · Yorkshire Water, Emma Howard Boyd CBE · Public First, Jonathan Moxon · Leeds City Council, Mark Shepherd · The Association of British Insurers (ABI), Martin Lennon · Flood Re, Matthew Shelton · Network Rail, Megan Dunford · Zurich UK View ↗
19 May 2025 Graham French · Kingfisher Café, Ian Moodie · Association of Drainage Authorities, Julie Foley OBE · Environment Agency, Mary Long-Dhonau OBE · FloodMary.com, Siobhan Connor · Shrewsbury Flood Action Group, Tracey Garrett · National Flood Forum View ↗
12 Feb 2025 Celia Davis · Town and Country Planning Association, Hannah Burgess · Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM), Rachel Hallos · National Farmers' Union View ↗
22 Jan 2025 Paul Sayers · Sayers and Partners, Professor Briony McDonagh · University of Hull, Professor Jim Hall · National Infrastructure Commission, Professor Larissa Naylor · University of Glasgow, Professor Richard Dawson · Climate Change Committee, The Baroness Brown of Cambridge DBE · Climate Change Committee View ↗

Correspondence

7 letters
DateDirectionTitle
19 Mar 2026 From cttee Letter to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government …
11 Mar 2026 To cttee Letter from Town and Country Planning Association relating to planning for flo…
5 Feb 2026 To cttee Letter from the Secretary of State Environment, Food & Rural Affairs relating t…
15 Jan 2026 From cttee Letter to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs relati…
4 Sep 2025 To cttee Letter from the Environment Agency Chief Executive relating to the Flood Resili…
9 Jun 2025 To cttee Letter from the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, res…
28 May 2025 From cttee Letter to Chancellor and Defra Secretary of State on flood budget, dated 28 May…