To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how much has been spent in maintaining, cleaning and managing the River Rom in Essex in each of the last five years; (231910)

The following figures cover the cost to the Environment Agency for channel maintenance, the treatment of Japanese knotweed, unplanned blockage removal and regular planned deployment of staff.

The Environment Agency made a contribution of £25,000 to the London borough of Havering to help cover the costs of bringing the River Rom up to standard.

The Cross Road Flood Storage Reservoir is a classified reservoir under the Reservoirs Act. This takes and stores flood water from the Rom. To date, the Environment Agency has spent over £40,000 in carrying out maintenance and public safety works.

In 2006, the Environment Agency took on responsibility for maintenance of a further 5.4 km of the river. This was part of a national transfer of responsibilities from local authorities.

Since then, the Environment Agency has delivered an annual maintenance programme that involves clearing the river of fallen trees, clearing blockages, removing invasive plants, clearing vegetation on embankments, installing safety railings and improving the safety of the Cross Road Flood Storage Lagoon.

Substantial investment is planned for the next three years to improve this flood storage area and manage the risk of flooding to people in the Romford area.