§ Ms McCaffertyTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what communications he has received from the Environment Agency in response to his request for a report on the causes and impact of the flooding in Calder Valley; and if he will make a statement. [133427]
§ Mr. MorleyThe Chairman of the Environment Agency provided me with his report on 21 July. Copies are being placed in the House Libraries.
The report covers the impact of the flooding; the causes of the flooding, including assessment of the contributory factors suggested by local members of the public; the effectiveness and timeliness of flood warnings; to what extent the effects of these floods were mitigated as a result of the measures taken to implement the Independent Report of the Easter 1998 floods; and what further lessons can be learned from these floods.
The report provides an assessment of the floods and their causes. I welcome the fact that it identifies a number of factors where management of the event was assisted by the work undertaken to implement the Independent Report of the Easter 1998 floods. The Agency has also identified a number of further lessons to be learned and they are making plans to implement them.
Finally, I know that some people are still suffering from the effects of the flooding and I repeat the Government's sympathy to all those who were affected.