Written Ministerial Statement by Hilary Benn on budget allocations and outcome targets for flood and coastal erosion risk management in England - 4 February 2008
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Hilary Benn)
On 2 July 2007 I announced that Government spending on flood and coastal erosion risk management in England would increase to £800 million in 2010/11 and that I would publish details later. This past year has shown the impact that flooding can have on communities and individuals, and these record sums for managing the risk of flooding and coastal erosion are clearly needed.
We will be investing £1.8 billion directly with Operating Authorities in the next three years on flood management, including new or improved defences, monitoring, and the availability of flood warning. We are also making an initial provision of £34.5 million which may be needed to implement Sir Michael Pitt’s recommendations.
We estimate that local authorities will spend around £260 million maintaining their own defences, as well as funding additional work by the Environment Agency and Internal Drainage Boards. This means that Government will be investing over £2.15 billion during the three year period.
The allocations will be:-
|
£ millions |
||||
|
Allocated to Operating Authorities |
Total |
|||
|
LA Own Spend (Estimated) |
Retained (for now) in Defra |
EA Resource (maintenance & operational costs) |
Capital Programme |
|
2007/08 Baseline |
86 |
0 |
247 |
259 |
602 |
2008/09 |
87 |
4 |
251 |
308 |
650 |
2009/10 |
87 |
20.5 |
258 |
334.5 |
700 |
2010/11 |
87 |
38 |
279 |
400 |
804 |
CSR 3 Year total |
261 |
62.5 |
788 |
1,042.5 |
2,154 |
I am also setting new targets for the delivery of the capital programme which will include improving the protection of 145,000 households over the three year period including 45,000 of those most at risk. Targets have also been set which will see the condition of some 24,000 hectares of our SSSIs brought back into favourable condition by 2010.
The full targets are shown below:-
Outcome Measure |
Definition |
Minimum Target |
OM1 Economic Benefits |
Average benefit cost ratio across the capital programme based upon the present value whole life costs and benefits of projects delivering in the CSR07 period. |
5 to1 average with all projects having a benefit cost ratio robustly greater than 1 |
OM2 Households protected |
Number of households with improved standard of protection against flooding or coastal erosion risk. |
145,000 households of which 45,000 are at significant or greater probability |
OM3 Deprived households at risk |
Number of households for which the probability of flooding is reduced from significant or greater through projects benefiting the most deprived 20% of areas. |
9,000 of the 45,000 households above |
OM4 Nationally important wildlife sites |
Hectares of SSSI land where there is a programme of measures in place (agreed with Natural England) to reach target condition by 2010. |
24,000 hectares |
OM5 UK Biodiversity Action Plan habitats |
Hectares of priority Biodiversity Action Plan habitat including intertidal created by March 2011. |
800 hectares of which at least 300 hectares should be intertidal |
Page published: 04 February 2008