[holding answer 6 December 2007]: The draft Climate Change Bill, which has just been introduced into Parliament, proposes to set out a requirement for the Government to produce the first UK risk assessment on climate change within three years. Following this, it is proposed that the Government will update the risk report and programme on a five-yearly basis, with one informing the other.
In addition, the cross-Government Adaptation Policy Framework will set out the Government's overall intentions in relation to adapting to the effects of climate change.
As a result of the impacts of climate change, the annual costs of flooding to homes, businesses and infrastructure could increase. The Government announced in the 2007 comprehensive spending review that funding for flood and coastal erosion risk management across Government will increase to £800 million in 2010-11. The Government will also introduce an adaptation toolkit of £10 million per year to assist communities in adapting to change where constructing defences is not the most appropriate means of managing flood and coastal erosion risk.