Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 6
6
Not Addressed
Ensure surface water flood risk is quantified, integrated, and data shared across authorities
Conclusion
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 58 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. (Recommendation, Paragraph 31)
Government Response Summary
The government response discusses the importance of understanding and tracking flood defence assets and the Environment Agency's existing asset information system. It does not address the specific recommendations for consistently quantifying surface water flood risk, standardising mapping and modelling, or developing a national framework for data sharing on drainage infrastructure.
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
The government agrees with the Environmental Audit Committee on the importance of understanding where all flood defence assets are, what condition they are in and what impact the assets are having in reducing risk. A good understanding of assets is needed to inform investment decisions. It can also help lower insurance premiums and unlock growth. The Environment Agency has an asset information management system—a national register of fixed flood defences—indicating who owns them, who maintains them, and their condition, among other detail. However, not all flood risk assets in England are currently tracked in this system. The Environment Agency does not maintain third party assets, although many form part of Environment Agency schemes and connect to assets that it does maintain. It is important that the Environment Agency inspects and monitors these to understand their condition and inform their owners when they fall below the required condition. We therefore recognise that there is a need to improve understanding of flood assets. The government and the Environment Agency will explore further how to improve existing asset registers held by the Environment Agency and other RMAs. This will include determining whether greater centralisation of asset information would be beneficial. We would need to consider public access to this type of database and how General Data Protection Regulation would be navigated, as well as the increased security risk arising from this for major assets. But we accept the case for improvement. Clarifying roles and responsibilities Recommendation at paragraph 59: ‘Flood resilience must be planned, integrated, and accountable, not fragmented, reactive, or opaque. The Government should establish a clear national mechanism for strategic oversight and accountability in flood risk management. By the end of 2025, it should set out how it intends to deliver this, whether by strengthening the Environment Agency’s mandate, amending the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, or formally assigning oversight responsibilities to a permanent coordinating body, such as the Flood Resilience Taskforce. Implementation should begin no later than 2026. This mechanism should: • Provide strategic oversight across all sources of flood risk, fluvial, surface water, coastal, and groundwater, and set national priorities for risk management authorities. • Coordinate investment, standards, and adaptation targets across departments, sectors, and funding streams. • Support and equip Lead Local Flood Authorities with the powers, funding, and technical capacity needed to deliver locally. • Maintain and publish a national statement of responsibilities, setting out the duties of all relevant actors, including water companies, local authorities, infrastructure operators, and the public. • Ensure flood risk and climate adaptation are fully integrated into spatial planning and development decisions through strategic oversight and consistent national policy.’