PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE
Cabinet Office - 6 January 2025 (Commons/Written Corrections)

I thank the Minister for the statement, and express my sympathies for those affected and my thanks to emergency and utility workers for all their efforts over the weekend. The storm was of great significance in constituencies such as mine. I appreciate what the Minister has said on the efforts and conversations between the UK Government and the Welsh Government. Can she say any more on that, and assure us that the lessons to be learned from this storm—on resilience and dealing with any future storms—will be shared with all of us in this House, as well as our colleagues in Wales?

Like my hon. Friend, I recognise the impact the storm has had on individuals. We have been working closely with the Welsh Government on the civil contingencies response structures in response to Storm Darragh, and have convened an all-Wales civil contingencies committee.

[Official Report, 10 December 2024; Vol. 758, c. 796.]

Written correction submitted by the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office, the hon. Member for Erith and Thamesmead (Ms Oppong-Asare):

Like my hon. Friend, I recognise the impact the storm has had on individuals. We have been working closely with the Welsh Government on the civil contingencies response structures in response to Storm Darragh, and the Welsh Government have convened an all-Wales civil contingencies committee.

Hurley and Cookham in my constituency have been hit time and again by storms. What work are the Government doing to protect villages along the Thames, which often get flooded several days after a storm has passed?

As I mentioned, we have set up a flood resilience taskforce, which looks at constituencies such as the hon. Member’s to make sure that they are not affected.

[Official Report, 10 December 2024; Vol. 758, c. 803.]

Written correction submitted by the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office, the hon. Member for Erith and Thamesmead (Ms Oppong-Asare):

As I mentioned, we have set up a flood resilience taskforce, which looks at issues affecting constituencies such as the hon. Member’s to make sure that they are not affected.