asked Her Majesty's Government:

What representations they have received concerning the willingness of the Environment Agency to ensure that relevant data on flood risk are made available to those with an interest. [HL572]

The Environment Agency makes its flood mapping available on the internet and works with the Association of British Insurers to make data on flood likelihood, and other relevant information, available to the insurance industry to implement the statement of principles.

The Environment Agency also makes relevant flood mapping available to other organisations including local authorities and regional government, for use at all levels of spatial and development planning, and for emergency planning; internal drainage boards; emergency services; and utilities, for resilience planning. The data are also available under licence for use for commercial purposes.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What steps they are taking to increase the number of flood defences that are in target condition. [HL573]

The Government fund a programme of investment through operating authorities (the Environment Agency, local authorities and internal drainage boards) to increase the proportion of assets in target condition. The programme comprises maintenance, repair and improvements, and is prioritised on the basis of the assets’ contribution to flood risk. The condition of 95 per cent of the Environment Agency flood defence assets is fair or better, as evidenced this summer when 99.8 per cent of the assets tested by the 2007 summer floods performed as expected.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What assessment they have made of the contribution to flooding made by problems with (a) urban drainage; (b) sewers; (c) gullies; and (d) spillways. [HL678]

The Environment Agency estimates that around 60 per cent of property flooding in the summer was due to surface water, which would have been caused by a combination of these issues. No further breakdown is available.