§ Bob SpinkTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will ensure934W that special precautions are taken to protect the people of Canvey Island at the time of the high tide expected in October. [71455]
§ Mr. MorleyResponsibility for flood forecasting and warning falls to the Environment Agency (EA) who have well-established arrangements with the Meteorological Office for securing accurate and timely weather forecasts. he emergency response to flooding falls primarily to local authorities, working with the emergency services and in close consultation and liaison with the EA.
In recent years flood warning has been improved, emergency plans checked and amended and liaison arrangements between the EA, local authorities and emergency services improved.
Canvey Island is protected by flood defences to a standard which is among the highest in the country. These defences protect against all but the most extreme conditions (those with a probability of occurrence of 0.001 or less in any one year). No special measures are therefore considered to be necessary to provide further protection during October above those already in place.
§ Mark TamiTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance his Department gives to local authorities regarding the granting of planning permission on(a) flood plains and (b) areas considered at risk from flooding. [70411]
§ Mr. McNultyI have been asked to reply.
The Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions published planning Policy Guidance Note (PPG) 25 Development and flood risk for Transport Local Government and the Regions in July 2001. PPG 25 advises on the consideration of flooding issues that is needed at all stages of the planning system. In particular, it establishes a risk-based sequential test that gives priority to lower-risk areas and advises that built development on the functional flood plain should be wholly exceptional.