---

3 Sep 2007 : Column 1806W—continued

Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the (a) capital and (b) resource departmental expenditure limit for flood defence grant in aid was in each year since 1997 for (i) England and (ii) each region; and if he will make a statement. [153590]

Jonathan Shaw: The Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) has only applied to the Environment Agency since 2004 when flood risk funding was provided directly rather than through the local authority levy.

The DEL for Flood Defence Grant-in-Aid (FDGIA) is provided to the Agency and is not split across regions. The Environment Agency seeks to ensure that funding is moved flexibly across regions within the DEL total to ensure the best value for spend.

The following table shows the figures for the Environment Agency FDGIA from 2004 to 2008.

£ million
	2004-05	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08 (Budget)
Capital	189	189	195	189
Revenue	166.6	261.3	223.9	246.9
Total	355.6	450.3	418.9	435.9

The Agency also receives other income from charges, precepts, contributions and residual local levies. In addition to the FDGIA made available to the Environment Agency, DEFRA also provides capital grants to local authorities and Internal Drainage Boards (IDBs).

The table shows DEL from 1997 to 2008.

	£ million
1997-98	n/a
1998-99	n/a
1999-2000	n/a
2001-02	n/a
2002-03	48.7
2003-04	49
2004-05	45.8
2005-06	73.4
2006-07	84.4
2007-08	67.3

2007-08 (Budget)

Local authorities and IDBs receive revenue funding from the Department of Communities and Local Government, which contributes to the cost of operation. They also receive other income from charges, contributions and levies.

Flood Control: South West Region

Mr. Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many zones at risk of flooding have been highlighted by the Environment Agency in (a) Poole and (b) the south west region. [151571]

Mr. Woolas: The Environment Agency have flood warning areas, each of which relates to a discrete area at risk that receives the flood watch, flood warning and severe flood warning services.

Within the south west region of the Agency, there is one tidal flood warning area specifically for Poole. There are 202 fluvial and 37 tidal flood warning areas for the whole region, a total of 239 risk zones.

Flood Control: Tewkesbury

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the Environment Agency on the number of sandbags which are (a) available and (b) in position for use when flooding occurs in Tewkesbury constituency; and if he will make a statement. [152886]

Jonathan Shaw: I have not had focused discussions on this specific aspect of the flooding that occurred in Gloucestershire.

The Environment Agency has produced guidance on the use of sandbags with the Local Government Association. Sandbags must only be seen as an emergency response. There are more robust solutions that resist flooding of individual domestic properties such as flood-boards and airbrick covers.

I understand from the Environment Agency that approximately 2,500 sandbags were available in Tewkesbury and all were deployed.

Floods: Gloucestershire

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what extra help has been supplied by agencies stationed outside Gloucestershire to that county during the recent flooding; and if he will make a statement. [152888]

3 Sep 2007 : Column 1807W

Jonathan Shaw: Mutual aid arrangements exist between the different areas of each organisation such as local authorities and the police so that resources can be switched to wherever they are most needed. In addition, procedures are also in place for central resources to be provided on request by local emergency responders. This can include assistance from the armed services, as for example we have seen in Gloucester in recent days.

Additional help for Gloucestershire during the recent flooding has also, for example, included the provision of a number of high volume pumps, brought into the area to assist in the pumping out of flood water.

Floods: Greater London

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what flood prevention measures were put into place in each London borough in each of the last five years. [153567]

Jonathan Shaw: The Environment Agency is the principal authority with responsibility for flood risk management in England, although local authorities also carry out works on less critical watercourses. The following tables show capital improvement works carried out by the agency only and exclude maintenance and operational work.

1. Projects to renew or improve fluvial (non-tidal) defences on northern and southern tributaries of the River Thames.

3 Sep 2007 : Column 1808W

1.1 North East Thames
	Flood Prevention Renewals	Location	London Borough	Cost (£)
2004-05	Prince Edward Playing Field Flood storage area on the Edgware Brook,	Cannons Park	Harrow	1,200,000
2004-05	Sixgates Bank and retaining walls repair works on the River Roding.	Barking	Barking and Dagenham.	800,000
2005-06	Priory Park Increase size of Flood Storage Reservoir.	Stanmore	Harrow	800,000
2005-06	Stonywood lake FSA Reconstruction of dam and increase size of Flood Storage Area on the Deans Brook	Mill Hill	Barnet	1,400,000
2005-06	River Lee FRC Walthamstow Major repair of existing channel of the River Lee Flood Relief channel	Walthamstow	Walthamstow	1,200,000
2005-06	Pymmes Brook Culvert. Removal of a culvert which presented a threat to blocking the Pymmes Brook	Edmonton	Enfield	1,300,000
2004-05	Low Hall Trash Screen. Reconstruction of trash screen	Walthamstow	Walthamstow	100,000
2004-05	Field End Road Trash Screen Reconstruction of trash Screen	Eastcote	Hillingdon	100,000
2005-06	Wealdstone Brook Bank works Repair to banks to prevent collapse and blockage of the Wealdstone Brook	Kenton	Harrow	100,000
2004-06	Mayes Brook Sluices Reconstruction of the Sluice gate and control structure for the flood storage area	Barking	Barking and Dagenham	900,000
2005-06	River Pinn Diversion Removal of culvert, on the river Pinn.	Hatch End	Harrow	200,000
2004-05 2006-07	Washlands Flood Storage Reservoir Reconstruction of the flood storage reservoir and increase in capacity	Dagenham	Barking and Dagenham	4,400,000
Total				12,500,000

3 Sep 2007 : Column 1809W

1.2 South East Thames
	Flood Prevention Renewals	Location	London Borough	Cost (£)
2002-07	River Quaggy Flood Alleviation Scheme	River Quaggy	Greenwich and Lewisham	18,000,000
2007-08	Refurbishment of three trash screen sites on the Beverley Brook	Ashlone Warf, Putney, Richmond Park, and New Maiden	Richmond and Merton	150,000
2007-08	Refurbishment of EA Trash screen -Upper Elmers End	Beckenham, St James Stream	Bromley	15,000
2007-08	Refurbishment of EA Trash Screen	Kyd Brook	Bromley	51,000
2007-08	Refurbishment of EA Trash Screen	Ravensbourne	Bromley	34,000
2005-07	Channel reprofiling and increased flood storage	Hogsmill near A240	RB Kingston upon Thames	120,000
2006-07	Channel reprofiling, creation of flood banks and increased flood storage	Ladywell Fields Lewisham	Lewisham	100,000
2002-04	Channel reprofiling, creation of flood banks, increased flood storage and flood warning improvements	Chinbrook Meadows	Lewisham	250,000
2002	Channel reprofiling and increased flood storage	Shaftesbury Park	London borough of Bromley	90,000
2002-03	Channel reprofiling and increased flood storage	Norman Park	London borough of Bromley	180,000
2005-07	Channel reprofiling, creation of flood banks, increased flood storage, construction of new trash screen and flood warning improvements	Upstream of Hayes Lane Bromley	London borough of Bromley	450,000
2003-06	Channel reprofiling and increased flood storage	Crayford Marshes Erith	London borough of Bexley	250,000
2005-06	Raising of flood defences, improvements in capacity of structure and flood warning improvements	Flood Siphon on River Graveney at Colliers Wood	London borough of Merton	900,000
2004-05	Banks stabilisation and weir removal.	River Wandle outside Garrett Lane Depot	London borough's of Merton and Wandsworth	120,000
Total				20,710,000

---