Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
4th Report – Flood resilience in England
Environmental Audit Committee
HC 550
Published 13 October 2025
Recommendations
28
Accepted
Launch major national flood awareness campaign to increase preparedness and educate communities.
Recommendation
The Government must launch a major national flood awareness campaign, co-designed with flood-affected communities and delivered with trusted local partners such as flood wardens, schools, the media, and frontline services. This campaign should be coordinated across relevant public bodies and …
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Government Response Summary
The government describes the Environment Agency's existing annual Flood Action Week and ongoing communication activities, which include stakeholder events, media partnerships, digital resources, partner engagement, and educational outreach to schools, indicating that these efforts already address the goals of a national flood awareness campaign.
34
Accepted
Complete review of local flood funding and address critical skills shortages by 2025.
Recommendation
The Government should complete its review of local government funding for flood risk management by the end of 2025 and commit to a long- term, needs-based settlement that enables councils to fulfil their flood duties. The Government should set out …
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Government Response Summary
The government states that a Defra report informed the Fair Funding Review 2.0, which will simplify the grant system for local authorities from 2026–2027 to provide a needs-based settlement. Additionally, the Environment Agency's Roadmap to 2026 is building skills, and a 'Building Skills for Community Flood Risk and Resilience Insights Report' is due in early 2026 to address skill shortages and workforce planning.
35
Accepted
Property Flood Resilience remains inaccessible, deepening inequalities and leaving communities vulnerable.
Recommendation
Flood resilience is not only about individual protection but about sustaining communities, businesses, and housing markets. Property Flood Resilience (PFR) must be mainstreamed as a core part of flood recovery, rather than treated as an optional add-on. Without reform, PFR …
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Government Response Summary
The government recognises the important role of Property Flood Resilience (PFR) and highlights the independent FloodReady review, which published 22 recommendations and 50 actions in October to mainstream PFR. The government states it is already taking these recommendations forward, with a leadership group reporting regularly on progress.
36
Accepted
Consult on mainstreaming Property Flood Resilience as routine flood recovery and reforming grants.
Recommendation
The Government should consult on how to make Property Flood Resilience (PFR) a routine part of flood recovery. This consultation should explore options for reforming the existing grant scheme to provide consistent, needs-based funding and wider accessibility, including simplifying the …
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Government Response Summary
The government points to the independent FloodReady review and an Environment Agency commissioned review which engaged stakeholders on property flood resilience. It highlights that Defra continuously reviews the existing property flood resilience grant scheme and has made updates based on feedback and a 2022 evaluation, without committing to a new formal consultation on reforming the grant as requested.
Conclusions (3)
22
Conclusion
Accepted
We welcome the Government’s consultation on a new investment framework for flood and coastal resilience. The proposed shift to a simpler, more strategic approach is a positive step. However, unless the revised framework explicitly considers social vulnerability and the long-term community impacts of flooding, it risks perpetuating current shortcomings. Without …
Government Response Summary
The government confirms that the new investment framework will give equal weighting to all types of benefit and commits to valuing a broad range of co-benefits, including social outcomes. It explicitly states that deprived communities will receive investment proportionate to their population weight, with specific minimum allocations over the next three and ten years.
27
Conclusion
Accepted
Public awareness of flood risk is dangerously low, undermining national flood resilience efforts. Too many people do not understand the risks they face, how to respond to warnings, or how to protect their homes. This reflects both a strategic failure and an associated communications oversight, leaving lives, livelihoods, and infrastructure …
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the importance of public communication regarding flood risk and details the Environment Agency's existing extensive awareness-raising activities, including annual Flood Action Week campaigns, digital resources, educational outreach to schools, and partnerships with voluntary organisations.
33
Conclusion
Accepted
Local authorities lack the capacity to deliver their flood risk duties effectively. Without adequate resources and skills, local authorities cannot fulfil their statutory responsibilities or support communities facing increasing flood risk. (Conclusion, Paragraph 110)
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges local authorities' capacity issues, noting a Defra report has informed reforms to the Local Government Finance Settlement (Fair Funding Review 2.0) from 2026-2027. The Environment Agency is also building skills via its 2026 Roadmap, and an Insights Report on flood risk management skills is due in early 2026 to inform futureproofing efforts.