Written Ministerial Statement by Hilary Benn on Flood Defence Spending - 10 October 2007
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Statement on Flood Defence Spending
I am pleased to tell the House that annual Government spending on flood and coastal erosion risk management will rise to a minimum of £650m in 2008/09, and £700m in 2009/10, reaching £800m by 2010/11 as I announced on 2 July. These figures compare with a forecast spend of some £600m in 2007/08.
These figures are the minimun we propose to spend in each of the coming years but it is too early to determine whether this will be the final allocation, or whether it will be possible to go further. We will need to take account of the independent lessons learned review into this summer's floods, chaired by Sir Michael Pitt.
Page published: 10 October 2007