HL Deb 13 May 1998 vol 589 cc1078-80

3 p.m.

Baroness Byford

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the Environment Agency took appropriate action to relieve the flooding of residential and agricultural areas during the Easter period.

Lord Donoughue

My Lords, dealing with the aftermath of flooding is primarily the responsibility of the emergency services and local authorities. The Environment Agency exercises general supervision of flood defence in England and Wales, undertakes relevant work and disseminates flood warnings. The agency has established an independent review of the Easter floods, including the effectiveness of its flood warnings and the emergency response procedures. A full report will be made public before the end of the year. That will enable the agency to assess its response to the flooding and to consider whether there are lessons to be learnt.

Baroness Byford

My Lords, I thank the Minister for his response. Perhaps I may express my sympathy, and I am sure that of all Members of the House, to those who lost family members in the flooding at Easter. At the same time, I pay tribute to the emergency services and individuals who helped during the crisis. I thank the Minister for mentioning the review. In fact, I was given, hot off the press at one o'clock today, the preliminary assessment from his department following the Easter floods. Is it possible that other agencies can be included in the review? At present only the Environment Agency is involved. Might not water boards be included?

Lord Donoughue

My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness. We on this side of the House join her in expressing our condolences. There were five fatalities, and many thousands of people suffered serious inconvenience and loss. The noble Baroness makes a very helpful suggestion. It is quite likely that the independent review will wish to interview the other agencies she mentions. We shall certainly draw attention to the point.

Lord Stoddart of Swindon

My Lords, is my noble friend aware that many of the floods at Easter and at other times are the result of building on a floodplain? Will the inquiry take that point into account and ensure that, where applications are submitted to build houses on floodplains, the experience over Easter and previously will be taken into account, and that such building will not be allowed?

Lord Donoughue

My Lords, there were probably many factors contributing to the extent of the flood damage. It resulted from rains which in many areas were the worst this century—worse than those of 1947—though, owing to the good work of the Environment Agency and the emergency services, the damage was less. My noble friend puts his finger on a very important contributory factor—namely, the excessive building that has taken place, particularly over the, past 20 years, either above or within the floodplains. Surface water runs off built-up areas at nine times the rate it runs off fields, so excessive building is a major factor. Like the noble Baroness, I come from Northamptonshire. I remember the floods in the Nene valley. There was very little building at that time: now extreme amounts of building have taken place. I know that the Environment Agency is aware of the situation and has frequently drawn the danger to the attention of local planning authorities.

Lord De Ramsey

My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that the Environment Agency was so concerned about development in the floodplains that it issued a policy paper last year entitled, Policy and Practice for the Protection of Floodplains? Is he further aware that some of the properties flooded on the disastrous occasion in April were in developments to which the Environment Agency or its predecessor bodies had objected during the planning process?

Lord Donoughue

My Lords, I was aware of the general position, not of the particular point. The noble Lord's statement is very helpful. The Government have issued further advice to local authorities to bear that factor in mind when planning permission is requested.

Baroness Anelay of St. Johns

My Lords, further to the question raised by the noble Lord, Lord Stoddart of Swindon, does the Minister agree with the preliminary report of the Environment Agency that a stronger presumption is needed from today against building in a floodplain, and that in addition flood balancing for all development is needed, which is something of a new proposal? What impact will that have on the Government's policy for building another 4½ million houses in the next few years?

Lord Donoughue

My Lords, I should point out that what the report referred to, which I believe will be placed in the Library later today, is the response to Ministers that was urgently requested by my honourable friend Mr. Elliot Morley. The independent review will be produced in two stages; one at the end of the month, and one in the autumn. The point raised by the noble Baroness is perfectly fair; namely, that the report has implications for any plans for massive building. Planning authorities will have to consider those plans in relation to the flood basins.

For instance, in the Northampton area, which suffered badly and where there have been criticisms of the warning system, it was not necessarily the fault of that system because the rivers were flowing at a level that did not constitute a red alert. However, the water running off the surface was so acute that floods resulted more widely than the river system. Noble Lords have raised a very important point.