Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 2
2
Deferred
Amend Flood Act to establish statutory duty for authorities and empower Environment Agency oversight
Recommendation
Flood resilience must be embedded in statute as a clear responsibility, not left as a discretionary ambition. The Government should bring forward proposals to amend the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 to establish a duty for all relevant authorities to act in accordance with a strengthened Flood and Coastal Erosion Management Strategy, which must clearly define what ‘good’ flood resilience looks like and embed a long-term framework that transcends electoral cycles, ensuring shared responsibility at all levels. • Risk Management Authorities (RMAs), including Lead Local Flood Authorities (LLFAs), should be assigned statutory duties to deliver against these standards within two years, with clear accountability and access to adequate, sustained resources. • The Environment Agency must be empowered to oversee delivery across all sources of flooding, monitor compliance with National Adaptation Programme targets, and coordinate activity across RMAs and central departments. (Recommendation, Paragraph 16)
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the need for long-term investment but will only consider the recommendation for resilience standards as part of an existing commitment to explore a long-term target, with a further statement planned next year. The Environment Agency will also start a review of its strategy next year to define flood resilience, while stating risk management authorities are already required to act.
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
The government agrees with the need to support long-term investment in flood and coastal erosion risk management. It has committed over £10.5 billion up to 2036, a record long-term settlement. From 2026, this investment figure does not include revenue spending. When revenue spend is included, the total investment committed will be considerably higher. The government notes the committee’s recommendation to take forward resilience standards and will consider this as part of our existing commitment to explore a long-term target. We plan on making a further statement next year following publication of the Environment Agency’s long- term investment scenarios. Alongside this, the Environment Agency will start the review of its statutory Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy for England next year. The strategy will aim to define what ‘good’ flood resilience looks like via its long-term objectives and shorter-term measures. Risk management authorities are already required to act in a manner that is consistent with the existing national strategy under section 11 of the Flood and Water Management Act (2010). Establishing clear resilience standards Recommendation at paragraph 24: ‘By 2027, the Government should develop and adopt clear, measurable national flood resilience standards that define the expected level of resilience based on the characteristics of the area or property. These standards should guide national and local investment, support planning decisions, and give the public confidence that resilience is being delivered consistently and transparently. These standards should be: • Embedded: the standards should be incorporated in the National Adaptation Programme (NAP), supported by long-term funding commitments aligned to those objectives. These commitments must extend beyond existing six-year budget cycles, reflecting the long-term nature of climate risk. Resources should be used more strategically, focusing on prevention and resilience rather than reactive spending. • Tiered: to reflect different types of risk (e.g., risk to life, property damage, infrastructure disruption) and levels of acceptable risk in different contexts (e.g., urban vs rural, critical infrastructure vs residential areas). • Comprehensive: applying across infrastructure, housing, and community planning. • Forward-looking: aligned with future climate projections and long- term adaptation goals. • Deliverable: backed by adequate funding, a clear implementation plan, and integration into planning, investment, and regulatory frameworks.’ Government response: The government is exploring setting a long-term target for flood risk management, as recommended by the National Audit Office and the National Infrastructure Commission. Setting a long-term target could include setting flood resilience standards. To set a long-term target we would use the best available information from the Environment Agency, including the latest national flood risk assessment (NaFRA2) published in 2024, and the long-term investment scenarios that the Agency is publishing in 2026. Surface water flood risk Recommendation at paragraph 31: ‘We welcome the flood risk strategy becoming more dynamic and responsive to emerging risks. Surface water flooding, long underestimated, is now understood to be one of the most frequent and complex sources of flood risk. It must no longer be treated as a second- tier issue. By 2027, the Government should ensure that surface water flood risk is consistently quantified and fully integrated into national flood risk assessments. Defra, working with the Environment Agency and Lead Local Flood Authorities, should complete the standardisation of surface water mapping and modelling by the end of 2025, ensuring that dynamic, up-to-date data feeds into national assessments by 2026. *The Water Regulator and water companies, supported by Defra, should develop a national framework for data sharing on drainage and sewerage infrastructure, including clear responsibilities for maintenance, capacity, and investment. These improvements must also support better planning, delivery, and maintenance of sustainable drainage systems as part of a coordinated, forward-looking approach to managing surface water.’