To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many new homes were built on flood plains in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement. (146698)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Shrewsbury and Atcham (Daniel Kawczynski) on 8 January 2007, Official Report, column 369W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps have been taken to implement the Government’s undertakings in reply to the Agriculture Committee’s recommendation that a clear presumption should be made against future development in flood plain land where the flooding risk attached to a particular development is deemed to outweigh the benefits, given to the Agriculture Committee in response to its report Flood and Coastal Defence, HC707, 27 October 1998. (146883)

In December 2006 we published Planning Policy Statement (PPS) 25 “Development and flood risk”, which aims to avoid inappropriate development in flood risk areas and direct development away from high risk areas by ensuring that sites at little or no risk of flooding are developed in preference to areas at higher risk. In the 10 per cent. of England at high risk of flooding PPS25 ensures that essential homes and services can be provided where it can be demonstrated that the need for the development outweighs the flood risk and the development will be safe and not increase risk.

PPS25 strengthens and clarifies the policy established by Planning Policy Guidance Note (PPG) 25, which was published in 2001 in response to the Agricultural Committee recommendation and the floods of Easter 1998 and autumn 2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many houses were built on designated floodplains in each year since 2000. (148334)

[holding answer 9 July 2007]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Shrewsbury and Atcham (Daniel Kawczynski) on 8 January 2007, Official Report, column. 369W.