§ Mr. Liddell-GraingerTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs who sets the annual Environment Agency budget in the Wessex region; and who is responsible for controlling budgets in regions. [86221]
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Grant Scheme1 Funding 2001–02 (£000) New awards in 2001–02 ERDP (10 schemes) 167,200,000 26,089 Rural stress action plan 300,000 3 Total 237,990,000 30,678 1 The administration of grant programmes is carried out by a number of different units within the Department to which a range of staff make a contribution. It is not possible to provide an accurate estimate of these costs centrally.
§ Mr. MeacherThe Agency does not have a Wessex region. That region of the former National Rivers Authority (the Agency's predecessor body) was subsumed within the Agency's south west region on its establishment in 1995.
With the exception of its flood defence functions, the Environment Agency determines its own regional budgets. The delivery of local plans within budget are managed by the appropriate Agency regional management team led by the Regional Director.
Budgets for the Agency's flood defence function are set by local executive flood defence committees who also receive progress reports. Although the Wessex region disappeared, a Wessex region flood defence committee remains.