DEPARTMENT FOR
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS News Release (215/07) issued by
The Government News Network on 12 July 2007
A review to look
at how the recent floods were managed and responded to by the
Environment Agency, local authorities, the emergency services and
others, was today announced by Environment Secretary Hilary Benn.
The Lessons Learned review, to be carried out by the Cabinet
Office with support from Defra and Communities and Local
Government, will seek views from those involved in the floods,
ranging from residents affected by them, to local councillors to
members of the emergency services.
The review will look at flood risk management, the emergency
response and the transfer to recovery. A further separate review
will be carried out at a later stage to consider lessons learned
from the recovery phase.
In a written statement to the House of Commons, Hilary Benn said:
"As the affected communities, businesses and individuals
move to the long and difficult task of recovery, they are
understandably asking questions about the flooding - its causes
and subsequent management.
"My ministerial colleagues and I have said that it is vital
that we learn lessons now about how to manage and respond to this
type of disaster in the future. As part of the usual process
following an emergency we are establishing a review to identify
these lessons and the Prime Minister stated on the 8th July that
the conclusions of such an exercise would be made public. I am,
therefore, announcing today how the government intends to go about
this and our aim to publish initial findings by the end of the
year and subsequently a formal Government report."
The review will report to Hilary Benn and the Chancellor of the
Duchy of Lancaster, Ed Miliband, and the Secretary of State for
Communities and Local Government, Hazel Blears.
Mr Benn added:
"Tragically four people lost their lives as a direct result
of the flooding. The circumstances of three other reported deaths
are still being investigated. Over 37,000 properties including
some 7,000 businesses are reported to have been affected, with
nearly 18,000 properties affected in the Hull area alone.
"It is estimated that thousands of people are still out of
their homes with around 300 in emergency accommodation in
Sheffield and Doncaster and Hull. The response of the emergency
services, local authorities, operating authorities, voluntary
sector and the affected communities has been very impressive."
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. A full copy of Hilary Benn's statement can be accessed
at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/ministers/statements/hb070712c.htm
2. The review will look to consider all available evidence on
the flooding and its impacts. It's objectives are:
i. To understand why the flooding was so extensive;
ii. To establish whether the scale and impact of the flooding
could have been predicted, prevented or mitigated and, if so, how;
iii. To establish whether the immediate response to the flooding
was as effective and as co-ordinated as it should have been and,
if not, why not;
iv. To establish whether those involved in the response at local,
regional and national levels had access to the support, equipment
and information they needed;
v. To establish whether the public had access to information on
the risk of flooding to allow them to take appropriate
precautions, were adequately informed on developments as the
emergency unfolded, and were looked after properly in the
immediate aftermath;
vi. To establish whether the transition from response to recovery
was managed well and how could it have been improved;
vii. To identify those aspects of the response that worked well
and should be promoted and reinforced;
viii. To make recommendations in each of these areas to improve
the UK's preparedness for flooding events in the future.
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