Winter floods response: MPs visit Leeds

• Inquiry: Flooding: Cooperation across Government
• Environmental Audit Committee

Chair's comment

Mary Creagh, Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee said:

"Floods can devastate local communities as the people of Yorkshire are all too aware. With climate change increasing extreme rainfall, we're going to have to get better at dealing with and preventing flooding. The Committee wants to hear how Government can make our infrastructure more resilient and improve how it coordinates in the event of emergencies.

Our inquiry has heard from a range of different stakeholders about the 2015/16 flooding including the Environment Agency and Government Ministers. Today we are here to listen to businesses directly affected and learn about their experience. This will provide valuable insight into our final report where we will make recommendations to Government about how it can avoid this happening again in future."

Background

The 2015/16 floods devastated parts of Yorkshire. One recent study estimates that businesses in Calderdale have lost £47 million so far as a result of the Boxing Day floods.

Further information

• About Parliament: Select committees
• Visiting Parliament: Watch committees

Image: PA