9. To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much he has made available to the Environment Agency as flood defence grant-in-aid; and if he will make a statement. (178864)

Flood and coastal erosion risk management spending will rise from £600 million this year to £800 million in 2010-11. No final decisions have yet been made on how these record levels of investment will be allocated but a formal announcement will be made in due course. Decisions on individual regional funding allocations are a matter for the Environment Agency.