§ Mr. Liddell-GraingerTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the
2001–02 2002–03 Grant rate (percentage) Grant (£ million) Grant rate (percentage) Grant (£ million)1 Environment Agency capital grant 2— 42.3 2— 65.0 Environment Agency national initiatives and special funding after 2000 floods n/a 19.2 n/a 5.0 Local authorities 45 2.2 45 6.0 Internal drainage boards 45 1.5 45 2.0 1 Current provision, subject to change. 2 Capital grant to the EA is limited by Grant Earning Ceilings (GECs) which are set annually for each EA flood defence committee and represent the maximum amount of expenditure on which Defra will pay grant in the year to which they apply. Each committee is also set a grant rate annually at levels which are designed to provide extra support in those parts of the country where needs are higher, as compared to local resources. The following table shows EA GECs and grant rates for the two years.
2001–02 2002–03 GEC (£ million) Rate (percentage) GEC (£ million) Rate (percentage) North west 7.8 35 9.1 45 Northumbria 2.0 35 3.7 45 Severn Trent 10.3 35 14.0 45 Yorkshire 13.8 65 22.1 65 Anglia, Essex 2.2 45 2.9 45 Anglia, Great Ouse 5.3 45 3.7 55 Anglia, Lincolnshire 8.6 75 7.7 75 Anglia, Norfolk and Suffolk 5.7 76 10.1 75 Anglia, Welland and Nene 3.6 65 3.6 65 Thames 13.1 35 4.4 35 Southern, Hampshire and Isle of Wight 1.1 45 1.2 45 Southern, Kent 2.2 55 8.5 65 Southern, Sussex 4.6 65 9.6 65 Wessex, Avon and Dorset 0.4 35 1.0 35 Wessex, Bristol Avon 0.3 35 0.4 35 Wessex, Somerset 3.2 65 5.1 75 South West 3.4 45 5.2 65 2003–04
Allocations between operating authorities (including EA GECs and grant rates) for 2003–04 are still being considered.