To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) if she will provide additional funding for local authorities to improve flood drains; and if she will make a statement; (146208)

I have been asked to reply.

Local authorities have permissive powers to undertake flood defence work on ordinary watercourses¹ (which are outside Internal Drainage Board districts) and against flooding from the sea. They receive grants towards the cost of capital flood and coastal erosion risk management projects from DEFRA through Environment Agency Grant-in-Aid.

Local authorities also incur revenue expenditure on flood and coastal erosion risk management, typically on maintenance of defence or watercourses or non-grant eligible costs of capital schemes. This expenditure is supported through the local government finance system framework.

In addition, work on future funding levels is currently taking place in the context of negotiating DEFRA’s Comprehensive Spending Review settlement. The outcome of this is expected to be announced in the autumn.

¹ Water Resources Act 1991 defines watercourses as any river, stream, ditch, drain, cut, culvert, dyke, sluice, sewer and passage through which water flows, except a public sewer.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what discussions she has had with water companies on upgrading drainage systems to reduce the impact of flash flooding; and if she will make a statement; (146210)

I have been asked to reply.

DEFRA Ministers and officials regularly meet with key water industry stakeholders to discuss a wide range of issues, including urban drainage systems.

Sewerage companies have a statutory duty to ensure the effectual drainage of their area. However, it would not be practical to extend this to an absolute duty to prevent sewer flooding under all circumstances. Ensuring compliance with the duty on sewerage companies is a matter for the economic regulator, Ofwat.

The Environment Agency, local authorities and Internal Drainage Boards have permissive powers to undertake work to manage the risk of flooding or to secure drainage and water level management under the Environment Act 1995, the Water Resources Act 1991 and the Land Drainage Act 1991.