Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 19
19
Not Addressed
Increase flood budget to at least £1.5 billion per year by 2030.
Conclusion
Flood investment must match the scale of risk. The Government’s flood budget should rise to at least £1.5 billion per year by 2030, as recommended by the National Infrastructure Commission to keep pace with climate impacts, and be explicitly tied to the delivery of measurable resilience outcomes. (Recommendation, Paragraph 71)
Government response summary AI-generated
The government's response focuses on the role of insurance in supporting flood resilience, highlighting efforts to promote the "Build Back Better" scheme and supporting the piloting of Flood Performance Certificates. This response does not address the recommendation to increase the government’s flood budget to at least £1.5 billion per year by 2030.
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 need for continued, significant investment to boost flood resilience, with flood risks only likely to increase due to climate change. This is why this government has increased investment to record levels. Over 2024/25 and 2025/26 we are investing £2.65 billion, an average of £1.33 billion a year compared with an average of £1.09 billion spent under the previous government between 2021/22 and 2023/24. It is also why the government committed to invest £4.2 billion over three years (2026/27 to 2028/29) to construct new flood schemes and maintain and repair existing defences across the country. This is £1.4 billion on average each year, not including funding spent by local authorities on flood risk management through the local government funding settlement. The government also recognises the need to make a longer-term commitment. That is why, as part of the National Infrastructure Strategy we announced that we would invest £7.9 billion of capital expenditure in flood defences over the next decade. Taken together with the £2.65 billion investment for 24/25–25/26, that’s at least £10.5 billion of confirmed investment in flood defences by 2036, which will better protect nearly 900,000 properties. As the £10.5 billion commitment only includes capital funding from 1 April 2026, the total invested in boosting flood and coastal erosion resilience will be higher, once resource funding is added. The government is committed to ensuring the money we do spend makes measurable impacts and delivers clear resilience outcomes. The government’s new funding rules, taking effect from April 2026, will optimise funding between building new flood projects and maintaining existing defence assets. New strategic objectives will drive funding towards the most beneficial interventions measured by an integrated set of outcome metrics. Recommendation at paragraph 73: ‘The Government should strengthen the Flood Resilience Taskforce’s mandate by 2026 to provide formal oversight of investment priorities and preparedness measures, ensuring that lessons from past events are systematically incorporated into national flood resilience planning across Government departments.’
Read the full response on Parliament ↗