Floods Minister Emma Hardy has held a further meeting this week with Environment Agency Chief Executive Philip Duffy to discuss the nation’s response to the recent flooding events.

During the meeting, the Floods Minister was briefed on the current situation on the ground, and the response being led by the Environment Agency and the emergency services. She also discussed the further action being taken to protect communities over the next few days with minor flooding still possible in some parts of the country.

Together, they discussed how to continue to support the collective efforts of the Environment Agency, emergency services, and local authorities in responding to flooding.

Protecting communities around the country from flooding and coastal erosion is one of the Government’s priorities - £2.4 billion is being invested over the next two years to bolster the nation’s resilience.

The meeting took place as a mixture of snowmelt and saturated catchments has brought further disruption to parts of England, particularly in the Midlands, following the heavy rainfall over the New Year that saw significant river and surface water flooding across the North West of England and Yorkshire.

Since New Year’s Eve, the Environment Agency estimates that, in total across England, more than 41,000 properties have been protected but at least 300 properties have been flooded, with reports of further flooding being investigated.

The Environment Agency continues to monitor the forecast and impacts on river levels. Its message to the public remains to check their flood risk, sign up for free flood warnings and keep up to date with the latest situation.

Chief Executive Philip Duffy said:

“With the risk from floods increasing due to climate change, I want to reassure people that we are intensifying our efforts to repair and maintain flood defences and work with communities nationwide to prepare for future wet weather.

“The Government is working in lockstep with the Environment Agency to enhance preparations as we navigate the winter season and is swiftly integrating the insights from recent floods into the new Floods Resilience Taskforce. The taskforce is speeding up the delivery of flood defences and enhancing our national resilience to protect communities from extreme weather conditions.”