Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 15
15
Not Addressed
Consult on introducing statutory duty for Fire and Rescue Services to respond to flooding.
Recommendation
The Government should consult on introducing a statutory duty for Fire and Rescue Services in England to respond to flooding, supported by dedicated funding for training, equipment, and operational planning. This should be undertaken by the end of 2025. This would align England with devolved administrations and strengthen national flood resilience. This should also look at making the Fire and Rescue Services a statutory consultee in planning decisions, to respond to local flooding situations. (Recommendation, Paragraph 60) 61 Embedding flood resilience across Government policy and public investment
Government response summary AI-generated
The government highlights the Environment Agency's Flood Action Week and commitments to improving public communication, stating that a Floods Resilience Taskforce action group will explore options to improve public communication around flood reporting in 2026. This response does not address the recommendation to consult on a statutory duty for Fire and Rescue Services to respond to flooding.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government · verbatim extract
Not Addressed
The government recognises the importance of the Fire and Rescue Services (FRS) and is assessing the case for a statutory duty for FRS in England to respond to flooding. This assessment will consider the operational, legal, and financial implications of such a change, including the provision of dedicated funding for training, equipment, and operational planning, as well as the potential for FRS to become statutory consultees in planning decisions. Defra is leading this work in collaboration with the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and will engage the National Fire Chief’s Council, the Fire Brigades Union, devolved administrations, and other key stakeholders. The project will evaluate evidence including on current flood response capability, and lessons from the devolved governments where statutory duties already exist. It will assess alignment with the UK Government Resilience Framework and existing legislation, such as the Fire and Rescue Services Act (2004) and the Civil Contingencies Act (2004). This work is planned to conclude in summer 2026. Embedding resilience in public investment Recommendation at paragraph 69: ‘By 2026, the Government should embed climate and flood resilience as a core test for all departmental spending and public investment proposals. This should be supported by clear resilience standards, measurable targets, and a requirement for every department to demonstrate how its spending aligns with these standards.’
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