APPENDIX 34
Supplementary Memorandum
submitted by the Environment Agency (F52)
I refer to your letter dated 8 May relating
to the provision of flood warning and emergency response by the
Environment Agency. On behalf of the Agency I would like to make
the following points:
1. In paragraph 5.1.3 of your memorandum
(F21)[2],
you note that the Environment Agency employs some 1,600 staff
to implement its statutory responsibilities for flood emergency
response. During this year's Easter floods, Members have learnt
that, as a result of the flooding coinciding with the public holiday,
these staff were at times difficult to contact and as a consequence
were apparently not able to assist with emergency work in the
numbers expected. The Committee would appreciate clarification
of whether or not this had negative consequences for the flood
warning service provided by the Agency nationally.
1(a) The Agency's role in flood warning
and emergency response relates to monitoring river or sea levels,
issuing flood warnings when certain threshold levels are reached,
inspecting flood defence assets and operating structures in accordance
with written procedures. Emergency procedures are in place. During
the Easter period these procedures were followed and at this stage
the Agency has no evidence that these procedures were compromised
because of the Bank Holiday. Where necessary the Agency operates
a standby rota system for staff which takes account of annual
leave and sickness cover. The emergency workforce is sized to
take annual leave and sickness cover into account.
This issue is being considered further by the
independent review into the Easter Floods. The report of this
review will be available in two stages on 31 May and 30 September.
I will arrange for 20 copies of the first stage Preliminary Report
of the Independent Review to be delivered to the Committee office.
2. Information on the progress made
nationally by the Environment Agency in improving the flood warning
systems inherited by it from the National Rivers Authority, for
which it is now has responsibility, specifying (a) whether survey
work has been undertaken by the Environment Agency to ascertain
the need for improvements in existing flood warning systems; (b)
the nature of the improvements made in flood warning systems by
the Agency so far; (c) the nature and timetable for the introduction
of any further improvements in flood warning systems by the Agency;
and (d) the Agency's current and planned expenditure on flood
warning systems.
2(a,b) The Agency came into force on 1 April
1996. In March 1996 a Ministerial direction stated, that on 1
September 1996 the Agency would take over from the Police the
primary responsibility for issuing flood warnings to those known
to be at risk. Because the level of service provided by the Police
was fragmented and varied between different Police Authorities,
the Agency prepared for this role by (a) undertaking an assessment
of the need to improve the flood warning system inherited from
the police and then (b) implementing the improvements. The preparatory
work was carried out in the 6 month period between March 1996
and 1 September 1996 when the Agency undertook the following:
— produced 62 flood warning dissemination
plans covering those areas notified as receiving a flood warning
service from the Police. Prior to this no formal approach or dissemination
plans existed. The 62 plans cover 960 flood risk zones.
— installed automatic voice message
systems in its flood warning centres to enable messages to be
passed quickly and efficiently to those who live in high risk
areas previously warned by the Police. This was a new system pioneered
by the Agency and no such facility existed prior to 1 September
1996.
— installed a national floodcall service
based on one national telephone number (0645 881188) which those
who live and work in flood risk areas can interrogate to find
out the risk situation in their locality at any point in time.
No such facility existed prior to 1 September 1996.
— made arrangements through co-operation
with local radio to broadcast flood warning messages as soon as
they are released by the Agency.
— carried out an extensive public awareness
campaign aimed at improving the understanding of those who live
and work in flood risk areas on how flood warnings operate in
their locality and how they can keep themselves aware of a developing
risk situation. Since the launch of the new arrangements in September
1996 the Agency has introduced independent surveys to review public
awareness and the effectiveness of the ongoing arrangements of
those living in flood risk areas as an ongoing commitment. The
results were made available to the public.
— in consultation with MAFF, developed
proposals that will lead to the improvement in forecasting and
warning tidal events around the coast of England and Wales.
— commissioned an independent review
of the existing coverage nationally of flood forecasting and warning
dissemination.
(c) The Agency does not yet have a costed
and timetabled programme to extend and improve the flood warning
service. This depends upon the ability of Flood Defence Committees
to fund the necessary work. The Agency have prepared a flood warning
strategy that will set the framework for delivering an enhanced
flood warning capability. A copy of this strategy is attached
[see Annex].
The delivery of the strategy will depend on
the ability of Flood Defence Committees in England and Wales to
finance the developments needed to improve the service. This issue
is scheduled for discussion at the October meeting of these Committees.
The Committees will be asked to consider the resources required
to implement the strategy in their regions including the implications
for levies and the timetable that is realistically feasible via
the levy.
(d) Current expenditure on flood warning
in England and Wales is circa £10 million per annum, following
a start up expenditure of £4.2m for taking the lead role
in flood warning dissemination.
3. Information on the dissemination
of flood warnings by the Environment Agency in Northampton over
the Easter period, clarifying (a) whether the staff employed by
the Agency to provide flood warning advice in Northampton are
the same person(s) employed for this purpose by its predecessor
organisation, the National Rivers Authority; (b) whether at any
time during the Easter period, flood warnings were issued in the
Billing area of Northampton, but not in the St. James area; and
(c) the means by which Red Flood warnings were dessiminated for
flood risk areas up-and downstream of Northampton.
3(a) The staff who provided flood warning
advice on behalf of the National Rivers Authority are the same
staff who are now responsible in the Agency for issuing flood
warnings in the Northampton area. However, additional staff have
been recruited to enable the Agency to cope with it's wider dissemination
role. All staff have received the necessary training.
(b) Billing Aquadrome caravan and leisure
complex is a known high risk area. The Agency warned the Police
and seven personnel connected with the site. The site personnel
are on the Automatic Voice Messaging (AVM) system. Because the
site is high risk there is an evacuation plan which the site management
put into action. The Agency were involved in the development of
that plan in consultation with the Police and emergency services.
No warnings were issued to the St James Area
during the Easter 1998 event. The Environment Agency records show
that the peak flow predictions through Northampton, made at around
midnight on 9 April from telemetry measurements, indicated a maximum
of 109 cumecs against a red alert threshold of 125 cumecs. By
01.00h on 10 April, flooding occurred because unprecedented volumes
of water had entered the town through various routes, some of
which by-passed the gauging station and hence was not measured
and included in the computer calculations. Both the flood defences
and the infrastructure for measurement and prediction were overwhelmed
at great speed. The Agency first learned of the flooding from
the County Emergency Planning Officer who advised the Agency that
the Police had already begun warning and evacuation procedures.
(c) Red Flood Warnings are disseminated
to the Police, BBC Radio Northampton, Cambridgeshire, Hereword
and Independent Classic Gold. AA Roadwatch and Newstel for telefax
also receive the warnings to include in their broadcasting services.
Known high risk areas at Weedon (117 properties) and Kislingbury
(28 properties) plus isolated mills received warnings direct by
AVM.
29 May 1998
2 See Ev. p. 7. Back
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