§ Norman BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the external costs associated with flooding, with particular reference to the environmental costs. [184585]
§ Mr. MorleyThe Department has undertaken a number of estimates of the national costs associated with flooding. The impact of flooding will vary from case to case. However, the national level estimates have shown that in most cases flood damage estimates are dominated by damage to residential, commercial and industrial property and its associated contents. Work to evaluate other impacts includes
recent research by the Flood Hazard Research search Centre (FHRC) at Middlesex University which suggested that emergency response costs are probably some 11 per cent. of physical damage costs;the FHRC also provides guidance on assessing the benefits to recreation of flood defence and coast protection works;
Category Number of applications Number paid Value paid (£) Number unpaid Percentage unpaid Value unpaid(£) Bovine schemes 256,533 251,620 365,086,982 4.913 1.92 3,082,749 Sheep Annual Premium Scheme (SAPS)-closing date 31 March 2004 26,851 26,810 113,055,712 41 0.15 175,079 Hill Farm Allowance-closing date 31 March 2004 11,052 9,646 33,987,521 201 2.04 2,258,310 Arable Area Payments(AAPS)Main claims closing date 31 January 2004 40,535 40,048 954,411,819 405 0.9 40,535 Non-food-closing date 31 March 2004 4.427 4,346 20,417,026 81 1.82 4.427 All 2003 scheme year payment targets were met. The excellent payment performance of previous years was maintained on AAPS (main claims and SAPS and for the first time since the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) was created, the payment target was met for AAPS non food claims and all bovine schemes