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Redundant Agricultural Buildings
Mr. Robertson: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what grants his Department makes available to farmers to help them convert redundant agricultural buildings; and if he will make a statement. [108710]
Mr. Morley:
The England Rural Development Plan sets out my Department's proposal to run a new Rural Enterprise Scheme, under Article 33 of the Rural Development Regulation, to aid farm diversification and other activities. These grants would cover the conversion of redundant agricultural buildings, subject to planning permission being granted. The Plan proposes expenditure of £152 million between 2000 and 2006, subject to the Spending Review 2000 and approval from the European Commission.
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Mr. Brake:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many leaflets that describe flood risks to a specified area of the UK have been produced by the Environment Agency; and how many members of the public have (a) contacted the Environment Agency's Flood Line and (b) been sent such leaflets. [109003]
Mr. Morley:
The Environment Agency is responsible only for England and Wales. As part of its national flood awareness campaign launched last October, the Agency published 160 local flood warning information leaflets detailing local flood warning arrangements and contact numbers. In addition, approximately 311,000 flood kits, comprising a waterproof reusable bag and the relevant local flood information leaflet, were mailed to homes and businesses in England and Wales. The campaign marked the launch of Flood Line which, as at 28 January, had received a total of 57,211 calls. Of these, some 30,000 were received over the Christmas period when severe weather affected the south and south west of England.
Mr. Brake:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will estimate how many houses are at risk from flooding in the UK; and what estimate he has made of how many houses will be at risk from flooding in (a) five, (b) 10, (c) 15, (d) 20, (e) 25, (f) 50 and (g) 100 years; and what assumptions he has made in determining whether a house is at risk from coastal and river flooding. [109005]
Mr. Morley:
UK figures are not available as flood and coastal defence is a devolved responsibility. The Environment Agency is continuing its work to estimate the number of properties within the natural flood plains of England and Wales. Based on the best available scientific and forecasting knowledge, this figure was last year estimated to be 1.6 million.
There are no forecasts for future years as it is not possible to predict where development will take place, nor what decisions will be made about future defences. The Government will be issuing revised guidance in support of its policy of discouraging inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding. In addition, the Agency is working with local planning authorities to ensure that its "Policy and Practice for the Protection of Floodplains" guidance is implemented to reduce the likelihood of new houses being built in flood risk areas in the future.
Mr. Brake:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many times the Environment Agency and his Department have given advice to (a) individuals, (b) local councils, (c) building societies and (d) any others to desist from building new houses in floodplains and other areas at risk from flooding; whether the Environment Agency and his Department have discussed with insurance companies, their trade associations and similar corporate entities the risks of insuring such properties in such areas at risk from flooding; and whether exchange of data, estimates, calculations and assessments with regard to flood risks in the UK has taken place between his Department and the Environment Agency and such bodies since May 1997. [108996]
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Mr. Morley:
Government policy is to discourage inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding. Advice to English local planning authorities is contained in DoE Circular 30/92 entitled "Development and Flood Risk". This guidance is currently being revised and a consultation document is expected to be issued shortly.
Neither MAFF nor DETR have been directly involved in specific advice to desist from building new houses in floodplains. However, in 1998-99 the Environment Agency received 77,502 requests for information for England and Wales, but this total is not broken down into individual categories. An individual can receive information on flood risk by visiting the Agency's offices or through correspondence. The Agency also dealt with 23,896 searches from solicitors, which would include information on flood risk if relevant.
The Agency commented on 110,764 planning applications, which include information on flood risk. In line with new Government targets, the Agency will, from June 2000, be reporting on their response to planning applications, identifying cases where:
The insurance industry generally continues to offer flood risk cover, in all areas, as part of ordinary household policies.
Mr. Brake:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many uninsured properties have been flooded since 1990 in the United Kingdom; what records he keeps of individual incidents; and if he will open those records to public scrutiny. [109002]
Mr. Morley:
No records are available on uninsured properties that have been flooded since 1990. The industry estimate that some 65-70 per cent. of domestic properties have household and building insurance which generally includes flood cover.
Mr. Brake:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the average cost of building and maintaining one kilometre of flood defences in the UK for (a) coastal areas and (b) river basin areas in the last 12 months; what percentage of these costs will be borne by (i) central Government and (ii) local government; and what (1) were the total costs in the United Kingdom of building and maintaining flood defences for coastal and river basin areas for each year since 1990 and (2) are the projected costs for 2000 and 2001. [108997]
Mr. Morley:
Full UK figures are not available, as flood and coastal defence is a devolved responsibility. Also, figures are not readily available for local authorities or Internal Drainage Boards. This reply covers England and Wales figures as provided for the Environment Agency only.
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The average cost of building and maintenance of one kilometre of flood defences for coastal areas is £2.5 million and £0.65 million for river basin areas. The costs will vary according to the location of the defence, with higher costs for exposed coastal regions and heavily urbanised areas in river basins.
In 1998-99, the income raised for flood defence totalled £252 million, with the Government providing direct grants of £34 million; £203 million was provided through the levy from local government and the remainder from Internal Drainage Boards and other sources. Local Authorities are reimbursed in the following year through the Revenue Support Grant mechanism.
My Department, the DETR and the Environment Agency have fairly regular contact with the insurance industry about flood risks. This includes sharing the results of a number of R&D projects undertaken by the insurance industry, and attendance at seminars about managing flood risk. The information in the Agency's flood risk maps is being made publicly available and so may be used by the insurance industry.
1. the Agency sustained objections on flood risk grounds; and
2. final decisions, either by the LPA or on appeal, were in line with, or contrary to Agency advice.
| £ million | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Capital | Revenue | Total | |
| 1989-90(16) | 74.6 | 92.9 | 167.5 |
| 1990-91(16) | 93.1 | 103.0 | 196.1 |
| 1991-92(16) | 116.8 | 114.1 | 230.9 |
| 1992-93(16) | 110.8 | 120.2 | 231.0 |
| 1993-94(16) | 105.7 | 124.0 | 229.7 |
| 1994-95(16) | 113.9 | 126.8 | 240.7 |
| 1995-96(16) | 131.1 | 119.0 | 250.1 |
| 1996-97(16) | 131.4 | 125.1 | 256.5 |
| 1997-98(16) | 136.5 | 137.1 | 273.6 |
| 1998-99(16) | 117.7 | 144.1 | 261.8 |
| 1999-2000(17) | 124.5 | 147.8 | 272.3 |
| 2000-01(17) | 133.8 | 152.9 | 286.7 |
| 2001-02(17) | 131.4 | 154.1 | 285.5 |
(16) Actual
(17) Planned
Mr. Brake: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish maps produced by the Environment Agency of the Floodline programme of flood risks that threaten houses at (a) regional and (b) other levels. [109006]
Mr. Morley: The Environment Agency's 24-hour Floodline telephone information service was launched on 18 October 1999 as part of an integrated public awareness campaign to raise awareness of flood risk and flood warning. The service covers England and Wales and enables the public to find out what flood warnings are in force, to report flooding and to request an information pack about how to prepare for floods.
As a separate exercise, the Agency has released Flood Plain Maps to local authorities in England and Wales for development control and emergency planning purposes. The Agency is developing proposals to place the maps on its web site to make them freely accessible to the public. Paper copies can also be supplied upon request.
Mr. Brake:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the guidance given by (i) his Department and (ii) the Environment Agency to maritime district councils and county councils to deal with sea level rise and flooding from climate change; and if he will specify the funds directed to (a) coastal defences, (b) the UK climate change impact programme and (c) public awareness campaigns aiming at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the years 1995 to 2000; how
10 Feb 2000 : Column: 296W
much will be made available over the next three years; and what plans he has to increase the amounts spent on such items. [108998]
Mr. Morley:
Since 1990 my Department has issued allowances for sea level rise to be taken into account by flood and coastal defence operating authorities in planning future defence options. These allowances, which take account both of the predicted impact of climate change coupled with the effect of long term geological "tilt", are as follows:
| Environment agency region | Allowance (mm per year) |
|---|---|
| North East (South of Flamborough Head), Anglian, Thames, Southern | 6 |
| South West, Wales | 5 |
| North West, North East (North of Flamborough Head) | 4 |
These allowances are intended to be applied to defences with a design life up to 2030. Defences with an expected life beyond this period should be adaptable to allow for any future change in predictions.
These allowances have been published by the Ministry in a number of documents, including our Project Appraisal Guidance Notes for flood and coastal defence operating authorities and in the Ministry's Strategy flood and coastal defence. They also appear in DoE Circular 30/92 entitled "Development and Flood Risk" which was aimed at local planning authorities.
These predictions have been reviewed against the climate change scenarios for the UK, published in October 1998 by the UK Climate Impacts Programme (DETR). Preliminary indications are that, if extreme events follow the predicted pattern of global sea level rise, these allowances should be adequate to the middle of the next century.
| Year | £ million |
|---|---|
| 1995-96 | 71 |
| 1996-97 | 75 |
| 1997-98 | 61 |
| 1998-99 | 51 |
| Year | £ million |
|---|---|
| 1990-2000 | 71 |
| 2000-01 | 77 |
| 2001-02 | 79 |
10 Feb 2000 : Column: 297W
These plans reflect the increased provision announced following the 1998 Comprehensive Spending Review. The provision available beyond 2002 will depend on the outcome of this year's Spending Review.
The UK Climate Impacts Programme was established in April 1997. DETR have allocated £930,764 to the Programme Office until 1 April 2000. They have also funded the production of climate change and socio-economic scenarios for the UK to underpin the work of the Programme. For the next two years the Programme's total budget is set at £918,852. Decisions on support for the Programme beyond this will be made in the light of on-going reviews of its work.
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| Wasting Energy Costs the Earth | |
| 1995-96 | (18)3.6 |
| 1996-97 | (18)2.0 |
| Are you doing your bit? | |
| 1997-98 | (18)1.3 |
| 1998-99 | (18)1.7 |
| 1999-2000 | (19)6.5 |
| 2000-01 | (19)7.7 |
| 2001-02 | (19)7.7 |
(18) UK figures.
(19) England only, post devolution.
The future campaign budget beyond 2002 will depend on the outcome of the Spending Review 2000.
| Year | £ million |
|---|---|
| 1996-97 | 5.5 |
| 1997-98 | 3.1 |
| 1998-99 | 4.3 |
| 1999-2000 | 4.4 |
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