2 Managing flood protection
8. Flood risk features on the National Risk Register
of Civil Emergencies along with events such as pandemic human
diseases and cyber-attacks. Although this is a national risk the
Department did not accept ultimate accountability for the management
of this risk and told us it was a shared responsibility with the
Agency and local bodies.[14]
9. Under the new 'partnership' funding arrangements
central and local government are jointly responsible for funding
flood protection schemes. It was unclear which of these bodies
was ultimately accountable for decision-making or for ensuring
value for money.[15]
The Department accepted responsibility for the money that was
contributed centrally and looked to work with local authorities,
through regional committees, to ensure that value for money was
achieved.[16]
10. The Flood and Water Management Act 2010 set out
that each lead authority should publish a register of all flood
defences in their area as well as a local risk assessment and
strategy for managing risk. However, the Department has no formal
mechanism for monitoring the quality of flood risk assessments
developed by local bodies. [17]
11. Similarly, the Department has no formal mechanisms
for monitoring the quality of local flood risk management plans.
Instead it relies on informal and ad-hoc intelligence. The Department
has no formal intervention policies or powers and it was not clear
how the Department would know if an authority was failing until
it was too late. [18]
12. While the Department is keen to devolve responsibility
for flood protection decision-making and fund raising to local
institutions, the Department and the Agency have given less attention
to how to secure the meaningful engagement of local communities
and other organisations, such as Internal Drainage Boards. On
occasions the Agency's in-house technical expertise has not commanded
local confidence.[19]
13. The Agency has embarked on a change programme
that will see a reduction in its staff numbers by around 800 full-time
equivalent posts by 2014-15. In undertaking this it needs to ensure
that it retains the appropriate skills and expertise to engage
effectively with local communities in the future. [20]
14. A key concern of local communities at risk from
flooding is that they will continue to be able to obtain appropriate
flood risk insurance cover that is affordable.[21]
The Department and the Agency told us they do not monitor the
costs of insurance cover.[22]
However, a statement of principles is in place with the insurance
industry to make sure that insurance is available. The current
agreement ends in 2013 and the Department has not yet completed
negotiations with the insurance industry to ensure that the statement
of principles will continue beyond then. [23]
14 Qq 34-35, 39, 42 Back
15
Qq 36-39, 42, 44 Back
16
Qq 126, 128 Back
17
Qq 130, 132-134 Back
18
Qq 131, 135 Back
19
Qq 46, 72-74, 93, 94, 101 Back
20
C&AG's report, para 5.8 Back
21
Q 108 Back
22
Q 119 Back
23
Q 109, C&AG's report - Footnote 3, page 12 Back
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