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9 Nov 2009 : Column 4W—continued
Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many of the sources of water used by water companies contain fluoride ions at a level above one part per million. [297806]
Huw Irranca-Davies: In England and Wales, there are a total of 1,692 water supply zones. 18 zones have on average fluoride level greater than one part per million of fluoride (based on data from 2004-08). Of these 18 zones, 10 receive water from artificial fluoridation schemes. Average levels in the remaining eight zones are the result of naturally occurring fluoride in the water sources.
The map indicates the average level of fluoride in water supply zones in England and Wales. The map is published on the Drinking Water Inspectorate's website and updated annually.
Flood Control
Bill Wiggin:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much each
local authority was allocated for flood defence maintenance and upgrading in each year since 1997. [298519]
Huw Irranca-Davies: Over the last decade the level of investment in flood defences has increased. In the 2010-11 financial year, a total of £780,000,000 is expected to be spent nationally, in comparison with £600,400,000 in 2007-08, and £310,000,000 in 1997-98.
Table 1 shows the breakdown of funding allocated to all local authorities from 1996-97 to 2007-08 for flood defences. It is not possible to provide details of what proportion of this is spent on flood defence maintenance and upgrading as this is at the discretion of the local authorities, and information is not supplied in local authority outturns.
| Table 1: Funding allocated to local authorities 1996-97 to 2007-08 | ||||||
| £ million | ||||||
| Direct Funding to LAs | LA Expenditure( 1) | Capital Grant and SCE(R)( 2) to LAs and IDBs( 3) | Funding to EA for LAs and IDBs( 2) | Capital Grant to LAs for coastal protection | Total | |
| (1) Local authority expenditure is funded from a number of sources including central government grant, council tax and reserves. The primary source is Revenue Support Grant from the Department of Communities and Local Government (CLG). More information is available from the CLG website, including the page on the revenue support grant settlements. (2) Between 2004 and 2006 local authority projects were funded through a mix of direct capital grant and Supported Capital Expenditure (Revenue) (SCE(R)). SCE(R) counted against DEFRA's Departmental Expenditure Limit for the year in which it was approved and supported local authority expenditure in that year. However, the funding resulting from SCE(R) was actually provided to the local authority over several years through Revenue Support Grant from the Department of Communities and Local Government. From 2006-07 onwards the mixture of grant and SCE(R) was replaced by a direct DEFRA grant. (3) We are unable to split this funding further into the level of funding which went to local authorities and that which went to Internal Drainage Boards (IDBs). | ||||||
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding was allocated to each local authority for flood defences in each year since 1997. [297273]
Huw Irranca-Davies: Over the last decade the level of investment in flood defences has increased. In the 2010-11 financial year, a total of £780,000,000 is expected to be spent nationally, in comparison with £600,400,000 in 2007-08, and £310,000,000 in 1997-98.
Table 1 shows the breakdown of funding allocated to all local authorities from 1996-97 to 2007-08 for flood defences. It is not possible to provide details of funding to each local authority individually.
Local authority allocation is much higher in 2003-04 and previous years because during this time the Environment Agency was largely funded through levies on local authorities, with DEFRA part-funding capital improvement projects and national initiatives such as public awareness campaigns and Catchment Flood Management Plans. Although local authorities still pay levies to the Environment Agency, this form of funding has largely been replaced by direct funding to the Environment Agency from DEFRA, through grant in aid which has increased from £358,600,00 in 2004-05 to £435,900,000 in 2007-08.
Floods: West Midlands
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Government have provided towards the maintenance and upgrading of flood defences in (a) the West Midlands, (b) Herefordshire and (c) Worcestershire in each of the last five years. [298518]
Huw Irranca-Davies: In total, the Environment Agency Midlands Region has spent £114,260,000 designing and constructing new defences and maintaining existing ones in the West Midlands. Excluding Herefordshire and Worcestershire, £88,930,000 has been spent.
Major capital schemes at Burton, Cannock, Cheltenham and Kidderminster have reduced flood risk for 8,174 properties in the West Midlands. Significant additional funds have been provided to improve flood modelling, forecasting, warning and incident response.
In Herefordshire, £7,000,000 has been spent on a new flood defence scheme in Hereford and £6.1 million on maintaining existing flood defences. Expenditure in the area totals £13,100,000 in the last five years.
In Worcestershire, £2,660,000 has been spent completing the Bewdley defences and £870,000 on new defences at North Littleton. An estimated £8,700,000 has been spent maintaining flood defences, with total expenditure amounting to £12,230,000 over the last five years.
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government plans to take to prevent wide scale flooding in (a) the West Midlands, (b) Herefordshire and (c) Worcestershire. [298520]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The Environment Agency has identified projects to reduce the risk of flooding for 11,109 houses in the West Midlands between 2010 and 2020. Excluding planned schemes in Worcestershire and Herefordshire, flood risk reduction is planned for 10,854 houses.
There will also be continued investment to improve flood modelling, mapping, forecasting and warning. The development and testing of flood response plans will also continue in partnership with local authorities and emergency services.
In Herefordshire, £150,000 has been identified to raise existing defences at Hampton Bishop. This is in addition to the £1,240,000 maintenance work identified for this year and £990,000 maintenance work identified for 2010-11.
In Worcestershire, £2,400,000 has been identified to protect 34 houses in Upton upon Severn in 2010-11. £1,000,000 (plus a contribution from Local Levy funding) has been identified to address problems in Childswickham and Wickhamford to protect 50 houses on the Badsy Brook. In Bewdley, £400,000 has been identified to protect 100 houses at the Quayside and in Worcester £100,000 has been identified to reduce flood risk to 71 houses on the Barbourne Brook.
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