The House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee has launched a new call for evidence as it investigates how government and public services respond immediately after severe flooding.

Announcing the call, the Committee said the UK is expected to face increasing levels of rainfall and a growing risk of flash floods in the future.

EFRA Committee Chair Alistair Carmichael MP said:

“Like the droughts we have just seen over summer, floods are expected to become an increasingly frequent and potentially devastating feature of our climate. As our weather changes, so too must the strategies of our government and providers of key services and infrastructure.

“The EFRA Committee now wants to look at how society can adapt to this threat and bounce back in the aftermath of major floods. We must look for ways to ensure life can get back on track after an incident.

“Far beyond the confines of Westminster, we want to see where improvements can be made to the preparations and support for rural areas affected by flooding. Rural communities are where people and businesses with the fewest means to protect themselves may reside. They deserve to be valued and protected as much as our towns and cities.”

MPs on the cross-party Committee are interested to learn how state agencies, local authorities, water and energy companies, and other providers of essential services, work together to protect communities and respond to incidents such as power cuts that affect multiple sectors.

The Committee will also consider the impacts on rural communities when flooding damages bridges, power networks, roads, and other infrastructure that may leave them cut-off.

This new workstream forms part of the Committee’s wider work on the theme of climate adaptation and emergency response, under which MPs have investigated the government's approach to coastal erosion and wildfires and the human cost of these emergencies.

The Committee is flagging up a report in 2024 by the National Audit Office which found that up to 51% of water supply infrastructure, 77% of rail infrastructure and 21% of electricity infrastructure are vulnerable to flooding.

The full terms of reference for this call for evidence are as follows:

• How prepared is the national response for flooding events that affect multiple critical infrastructure sectors at the same time, such as transport, food, water and energy?
• How effective are current arrangements for coordinating responses across different sectors during major flood events?
• What are the immediate impacts of flooding events on rural communities, farming businesses, livelihoods, and people’s wellbeing?
• How do public bodies, including Local Resilience Forums, ensure communities are able to access critical supplies, particularly in rural and hard-to-reach areas?
• What challenges, if any, do public bodies and local authorities face in meeting their responsibilities during flood emergencies under the current legislative framework such as the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 and Flood and Water Management Act 2010?
• What resources are available at a local level for immediate recovery from a flood event and to what extent are they sufficient and delivered in a timely manner?
• Given that responsibility for flood response is shared across multiple national and local bodies, how effective is coordination during and immediately after a flood event?

The Committee is inviting written evidence from experts, organisations and affected communities that respond to any of the terms of reference. Submissions should be made via the Committee’s website by 9 October 2026.

Click here to access the call for evidence