To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the additional £25 million in capital funding for flood defences brought forward from 2010-11 to 2009-10 and 2008-09 on (a) the number of homes receiving earlier flood protection and (b) improvements to British Waterways network infrastructure; and how much of the funding has been spent in each month since it was announced. (286651)

In 2008-09, £5.1 million of funding for flood and coastal risk management was brought forward from 2009-10. In 2009-10, £20 million of funding was brought forward from 2010-11 as part of the fiscal stimulation package announced in the 2009 pre-Budget report to provide early protection for 27,000 homes.

The Environment Agency forecasts full spend of its £349.4 million capital budget (not including funding for implementing the recommendations of the Pitt Review) for 2009-10. At the end of May 2009 it had spent £44 million.

As part of the fiscal stimulation package, £5 million of funding for British Waterways was brought forward from 2010-11 to 2009-10 to be spent on infrastructure projects. This will take place as part of the major works programme which is concentrated during winter months when the waterways are not highly used.