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Floods

Volume 480: debated on Wednesday 15 October 2008

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what critical infrastructure has been identified as vulnerable to flooding; and what the location and level of risk of each is. (224221)

[holding answer 17 September 2008]: The following table shows the number of critical facilities sites at risk of flooding. The Environment Agency is unable to give the location of these sites for national security reasons.

Number of sites in flood zone (flood risk probability)

Asset

Significant (1 in75)

Moderate (1 in 75-200)

Low (1 in 200 or fewer)

Total in all three zones

Water and sewerage (Number)

737

223

179

1,145

Electricity, generation and distribution (Number)

2,215

2,263

3,818

8,423

Gas, works and distribution (Number)

5

8

10

23

Telephone exchanges (Number)

82

67

86

241

Motorways (Kilometres)

139

104

132

382

A roads (Kilometres)

884

553

809

2,278

Railway lines (Kilometres)

1,470

750

948

3,213

Note:

Taken from an Environment Agency study showing infrastructure overlain on flood risk maps (river and sea floodplains).