To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made by local resilience forums in incorporating Environment Agency data on areas at risk of surface water flooding into their emergency plans; and if he will make a statement;

(2) how many local resilience forums have received information from the Environment Agency on the probability of flooding to critical infrastructure in their area; and if he will make a statement. [211907] (211906)

Local resilience forums have set up sub-groups to consider the impacts of extreme weather and flooding. DEFRA has asked the Environment Agency to identify locations which are susceptible to surface water flooding, and to provide that information to the local resilience forums. This work is nearing completion, and the Environment Agency expects to have this information available for the local resilience forums from August 2008.

Most local resilience forums have received information from the Environment Agency on flood risk to infrastructure. The Agency is also providing information directly to infrastructure owners. The Cabinet Office has established a process for local resilience forums to be briefed on critical national infrastructure in their areas, so that its vulnerability to flooding can be assessed.