§ Mr. WatersonTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what extra funding is being made available for flood defences in Sussex; and if he will make a statement. [24850]
§ Mr. MorleyI should like to express both my sympathy for residents in Sussex who suffered distress and damage in the recent storms and my appreciation to the staff of local operating authorities in responding to the immediate effects.
There are two main sources of funding for the Environment Agency's flood defence programme; this Department provides grant aid towards the cost of capital works and local authorities provide cover for maintenance and the balance of capital expenditure. Discussions are continuing between the Ministry and the Agency to clarify the break down of any additional spending in Sussex between those two sources. Until that issue is resolved, no decisions can be taken on any change in funding allocations.