§ Norman BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether changes to flood defence provision will be made to achieve efficiency savings as announced in the Spending Review, broken down by financial year. [185892]
§ Mr. MorleyThe Environment Agency has agreed to deliver efficiencies in its flood defence activities of £15 million for each of the financial years covered by the 2004 Spending Review (2005–06 to 2007–08). These efficiencies will be achieved through better procurement practices, greater use of new technology and a reduction in the process costs of delivering the capital programme. These savings will offset the effects of inflation and increases in construction costs currently estimated at 4 per cent. per annum.