The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee will hear evidence in person on Wednesday from Philip Duffy, Environment Agency Chief Executive and Emma Hardy, Minister for Water and Flooding as part of its inquiry into flood resilience in England.

The Committee’s inquiry has been focusing on how flood resilience can be strengthened in response to increasing risks from extreme weather, rising sea levels, and evolving flood hazards.

The evidence session, which starts at 9.30am on Wednesday 9 July 2025 marks the conclusion of the the EAC’s inquiry – the session will see MPs explore the coherence of the UK’s national flooding policy and consider whether the UK is adequately prepared to meet the growing risk of flooding.

In the first panel, the Committee will ask the Chief Executive of the Environment Agency, Philip Duffy, whether current planning rules do enough to prevent high-risk development in areas vulnerable to flooding. The MPs may also consider whether the Environment Agency’s flood defences capital programme offers value for money and accounts for the long-term risks posed by climate change.

MPs will then question Emma Hardy, Minister for Water and Flooding, and a senior DEFRA official as they consider whether the Government is prepared for the long-term risks of flooding. Questions are likely to consider if sufficient funding has been allocated and whether more should be done to improve the communication strategy and community preparedness in the event of a flood, to avoid undue stress being placed on those affected.

Witnesses will appear as follows:

• From 9.30: Philip Duffy, Chief Executive, Environment Agency
• From 10.30: Emma Hardy MP, Parliamentary Under-secretary of State (Minister for Water and Flooding), Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs & Dr Sebastian Catovsky, Co-Director, Floods and Water, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

In England, an estimated 5.7 million properties are at risk of flooding from rivers, the sea, surface water, and groundwater.

Following the widespread devastation caused by Storm Babet in October 2023, the impacts of flooding then struck again in 2024 when Storm Bert flooded 107 homes and Storm Darragh triggered over 200 flood warnings and flood alerts across England.

In January 2024 Storm Henk triggered severe weather warnings and flooding in the East Midlands, while in April 2024 Storms Kathleen and Pierrick caused significant damage along the south coast and in the North East. These challenges have brought flood risk management back into the national spotlight, as climate change continues to increase the likelihood of such events.

Looking to the future, the Climate Change Committee report to Parliament in 2023 anticipated that by 2050, the UK will face warmer, wetter winters, hotter, drier summers, and continued sea level rises. Sea levels, which have already risen by 16cm since 1900, could place a third of England’s coastline under significant flood pressure.

Many flood protection schemes that were on DEFRA’s list have increased in cost due to inflation and now have significant funding gaps.

Key questions the EAC has sought to address during the course of its inquiry have included:

1. To what extent are current flood resilience assets and interventions fit-for-purpose and what are the strengths and weaknesses?
2. How appropriate is the current balance between 'green' nature-based solutions and 'grey' hard infrastructure resilience assets, and what adjustments, if any, are needed to improve it?
3. What role can natural flood management techniques, such as wetland restoration and tree planting, play in enhancing flood resilience while contributing to broader biodiversity and climate objectives?
4. What changes to the planning system and building regulations are needed to ensure that buildings and infrastructure are resilient to flooding in the short, medium, and long-term?
5. To what extent are current metrics for monitoring the effectiveness of flood resilience fit for purpose, and what improvements could make them more effective?
6. How effectively and how frequently do flood risk management authorities work together to tackle flooding issues and do they have sufficient resources and skills available to carry out their work?
7. What should the key priorities be for the Flood Resilience Taskforce, and how can it enhance coordination and improve flood resilience?
8. Is there a backlog in maintenance of existing flooding adaptation/resilience assets and in identifying where new ones could be introduced?
9. What level of flood resilience is required to address the flood risks identified in the Climate Change Risk Assessment and is current funding adequate to meet these risks effectively?
10. How can the Government encourage more long-term private investment in flooding defences and resilience measures?
11. What support do property owners and neighbourhoods require to enhance their resilience to flooding?

Click here to watch the evidence session live on ParliamentLive TV