MPs on the Environmental Audit Committee are set to explore whether the Government appreciates the true cost of flooding in a live evidence session this afternoon as part of its ongoing inquiry into flood resilience in England.

The Environmental Audit Committee will address whether the Government have a plan to deliver a sustainable funding model for flood risk management and resilience and ask how this can be achieved in the face of increasing climate and economic pressures.

The MPs will hear from representatives of organisations including Network Rail, Yorkshire Water, and the Association of British Insurers as they explore the economic consequences of flooding, the effectiveness of the partnership model and the role of insurers.

The UK facing a rise in climate change related extreme weather events, an increasing number of homes and businesses are at risk of being impacted by flooding. The Environment Agency's most recent assessments showed that around 6.3 million properties in England are currently at risk. This number is expected to rise to around 8 million by 2050, meaning 1 in 4 properties may face flood risks.

Questions may focus on the scale and urgency of the economic impacts of flooding, and the role of private investment in mitigating this. MPs may also explore the accessibility and affordability of current flood insurance schemes and how insurers are responding to the increasing risks and frequency of flooding events.

Witnesses appearing before the Committee from 14.30pm onwards today are as follows:

From 14.30:

Emma Howard Boyd CBE, Chair, Steering Committee, Public First

From 15.00:

• Emma Brown, Manager of Strategic Partnerships, Yorkshire Water
• Jonathan Moxon, Flood Risk Manager, Leeds City Council
• Matthew Shelton, Route Engineer, Network Rail

From 15.45:

• Megan Dunford, Head of Large & Complex Property Claims, Zurich UK
• Martin Lennon, Director of Policy, Flood Re
• Mark Shepherd, Head of General Insurance Policy, The Association of British Insurers

Key issues the EAC has been exploring during the course of its inquiry, which started in December 2024, include:

Strengthening flood resilience

• To what extent are current flood resilience assets and interventions fit-for-purpose and what are the strengths and weaknesses?
• Are there alternative approaches from across the UK and elsewhere which could help inform improvements and innovation?
• How appropriate is the current balance between 'green' nature-based solutions and 'grey' hard infrastructure resilience assets, and what adjustments, if any, are needed to improve it?
• What role can natural flood management techniques, such as wetland restoration and tree planting, play in enhancing flood resilience while contributing to broader biodiversity and climate objectives?
• What changes to the planning system and building regulations are needed to ensure that buildings and infrastructure are resilient to flooding in the short, medium, and long-term?
• What long-term land use strategies and approaches to flooding should the government consider, especially for communities that cannot be protected from flooding or inundation?

Monitoring flood resilience

• To what extent are current metrics for monitoring the effectiveness of flood resilience fit for purpose, and what improvements could make them more effective?
• Do current metrics capture the range and effectiveness of privately-owned flood resilience assets, and if not, how can this be improved?
• Do we have appropriate metrics and mechanisms to measure the cost effectiveness of flooding assets and interventions in terms of investment versus long-term savings and, if not, what should they look like?

Coordination of flood resilience

• How effectively and how frequently do flood risk management authorities work together to tackle flooding issues and do they have sufficient resources and skills available to carry out their work?
• For instance, how can the government ensure that areas prone to flooding near the mouth of a river, are not negatively impacted by increased pressure on the river, or by flood-mitigation measures taken upstream?
• Where is the interface between the responsibilities for river and surface water flooding, and how could monitoring and coordination be improved to enhance effectiveness and early warning of flooding?
• What should the key priorities be for the Flood Resilience Taskforce, and how can it enhance coordination and improve flood resilience?
• Is there a role for community-based flood response teams, and who is responsible for building that resource?
• Is there a backlog in maintenance of existing flooding adaptation/resilience assets and in identifying where new ones could be introduced?
• Is there clarity about whose responsibilities these are, and how could this be improved?
• How strong is the knowledge base on both the condition of existing assets and where new ones might be needed and what steps could strengthen it?

Resources, funding and support for flood resilience

• What level of flood resilience is required to address the flood risks identified in the Climate Change Risk Assessment and is current funding adequate to meet these risks effectively?
• Is there sufficient government support and funding for the maintenance of privately-owned flood defence and resilience assets?
• What changes, if any, should be made to the next iteration of the Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management (FCERM) investment programme to improve its outcomes?
• How well does the National Adaptation Plan address the need for flooding adaptation measures, and what additional steps should be taken to ensure effective long-term flood resilience in high-risk areas?
• How can the Government encourage more long-term private investment in flooding defences and resilience measures?
• What role can the insurance industry play in supporting this?
• What support do property owners and neighbourhoods require to enhance their resilience to flooding?
• What is the current level of awareness among property owners about flood resilience measures, how they can be improved, and who can support it?

The last two years have seen the country impacted by a number of serious extreme weather events.

Following the widespread devastation caused by Storm Babet in 2023,the impacts of flooding have struck again in 2024 – including Storm Bert which flooded 107 homes and Storm Darragh which triggered over 200 flood warnings and flood alerts across England, once again highlighting the ongoing vulnerability of communities to severe weather events.

Early in 2024 Storm Henk triggered severe weather warnings and flooding in the East Midlands, and Storms Kathleen and Pierrick in April 2024 caused significant damage along the south coast and in the North East.

The challenges have brought flood risk management back into the national spotlight, as climate change continues to increase the likelihood of such events.

Click here to watch the live evidence session on Parliament TV