To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was spent on flood defences for Shrewsbury in (a) 2005 and (b) 2006. (147677)

Flood defence spending in Shrewsbury, over the period requested, was as follows:

Expenditure is by financial year, which runs from April to March.

The Shrewsbury office covered the Environment Agency's Upper Severn Area of the Midlands Region during 2005 and 2006.

The catchment extends from Market Drayton and Oswestry in the north, Clywedog and Vyrnwy reservoirs in the west, Dudley and Wolverhampton in the east and south to Worcester and Ludlow.

Expenditure of £134,000 in 2005-06 and £43,000 in 2006-07 was incurred on temporary flood defences for Coton Hill and Coleham Head, Shrewsbury. The £3.5 million Frankwell scheme was completed in 2003-04.