Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 16
16
The Agency explained that on-going maintenance costs are increasing for three main reasons.
Conclusion
The Agency explained that on-going maintenance costs are increasing for three main reasons. First, as a result of more extreme weather due to climate change, both more extreme flooding and more extreme droughts. Second, some flood defences in England are quite old, having been built in the 1960s and 1970s. They are now coming to the end of their design life. Third, the Agency is building more defences and these will require maintenance.17
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
4.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: ongoing ahead of Spending Review 2021 4.2 The government recognises that there can be benefits to setting budgets for key priorities on a multi- year basis. This is why the government has taken a multi-year approach to flood and coastal defence investment, now commencing its second six-year floods programme. Between 2015 and 2021, £2.6 billion has been invested across six years and starting in April 2021 a record £5.2 billion will be invested in the next six-year capital investment programme for flood defences. This investment will deliver around 2,000 flood schemes and will better protect 336,000 properties from flooding. 4.3 Defra and the Agency recognise the need to ensure a smooth transition across programmes. That is why they have worked jointly with HM Treasury to bring forward £100 million of capital development funding into the final year of the 2015-21 programme. 4.4 Between 2015 and 2020, the government significantly increased funding for the maintenance of flood defence assets and wider maintenance, for example river conveyance work. The government will continue to review future budgets as part of SR21.