REDUCING FLOOD RISK

That this House notes the important findings of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee report on flooding, the interim Pitt Review report, and the report of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Water, which consider the future of the UK water sector; further notes that the UK's flood risk will almost certainly worsen with the potential for flood damage to increase in real terms by between two and 20 times in the next 60 to 70 years, causing damage to homes, communities and key infrastructure; believes that there are real concerns about the current ability of many communities to withstand future incidences of flooding; further notes the lack of clarity around roles and responsibilities for dealing with problems of flooding and the protection of key infrastructure; further notes the UK is considerably behind in its development of sustainable drainage systems compared to other countries, which could play a considerable part in significantly reducing the risks of flooding; calls upon the Government, through its implementation of the Water Strategy and the recommendations of the APPG report, to ensure that there is a clear allocation of responsibilities at local level for assessing the possible impact of severe weather and for triggering the appropriate multi-agency responses to severe flooding incidents, and to look to alleviate the current barriers to the development of sustainable urban drainage systems; and hopes that the final report of the Pitt Review will lead the way to substantially improved flood management.