Floods Resilience Taskforce

The Floods Resilience Taskforce is improving our preparedness for, and resilience to all types of flooding affecting people, homes and businesses.

The Floods Resilience Taskforce brings together experts and decision makers from across UK government, non-government and industry organisations at local and national level. It includes people involved in all stages of flooding resilience, including preparedness, response and recovery. 

It is focussed on England as flooding is a devolved area, but representatives from the devolved governments are full members.

The taskforce provides a forum for ministers to hear the views of a wide range of stakeholders including for longer-term floods resilience strategy. It complements existing flood resilience activity and does not replace the existing flood emergency response systems.  

Goals

The goals of the Floods Resilience Taskforce are to advise Defra ministers on:

  • flood risks
  • flood resilience and preparedness nationally and locally
  • key learnings from previous major flood incidents
  • flood and coastal erosion strategy

Membership

The Floods Resilience Taskforce is chaired by the Minister for Floods and Water, and co-chaired by ministers from the Cabinet Office and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).

The full permanent membership is:

Full Name Title Organisation
Emma Hardy Minister for Floods and Water Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)
Dan Jarvis Minister of State for Security Cabinet Office
Samantha Dixon Minister, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State MHCLG
Keir Mather Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport  Department for Transport
Sebastian Catovsky Co-director, Floods and Water Defra
Stuart Armstrong Deputy Director, CBRN, Water , Flooding Resilience and Emergencies Division Defra
Paul Clements Director of Incident Management and Resilience Environment Agency
Jonathan Baker Deputy Director, Floods Policy Defra
Anne-Therese Farmer Director for Environment Department for Transport
Caroline Douglass Executive Director Environment Agency
Phillip Duffy Chief Executive Environment Agency
Richard Bevan Services Director Met Office
Robert Arnott Director, Resilience and Recovery MHCLG
Matthew Clarke Resilience Director/Head of Resilience Cabinet Office
Russ Turner Head of Centre Flood Forecasting Centre
Ann Carruthers President ADEPT (Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport)
Mark Shepherd Assistant Director Association of British Insurers
Innes Thomson Chief Executive Association of Drainage Authorities
Ali Morse Chair Blueprint for Water
Mubeen Bhutta Director of Policy, Research and Advocacy British Red Cross
Julie Sharman Chief Operating Officer Canal & River Trust
Joe Evans Vice President Country Land and Business Association
Martin Lennon Head of Transition FloodRe
David Bellamy Chief of Staff Greater London Authority and London Resilience Forum
Martin Hutchings Head of Flood & Coastal Risk Management LLFA Devon
John Bellis Shropshire Council Flood Risk Manager LLFA Shropshire
Jonathan Blackwell Assistant Chief Constable LRF Cumbria
Stephen Rayland Assistant Chief Constable LRF Sussex
Arooj Shah Leader, Westminster Council Local Government Association
Rachel Hallos Vice President National Farmers Union
Mark Williams Strategic Lead National Police Chiefs Council
Gary Quinn Director of Operations Northern Ireland Government
Paula Hewitt Chair Thames Regional Flood and Coastal Committee
Christopher Jones Deputy Director Welsh Government
Ben Selby Assistant General Secretary Fire Brigades Union
Mark Atherton Director of Environment Greater Manchester Combined Authority
Steve Helps Lead Officer National Fire Chiefs Council
Nick Searle Strategic Lead, UK National Resilience National Fire Chiefs Council
Anne Aitken Deputy Director Scottish Government
Adrian Lythgo Chair Yorkshire Regional Flood and Coastal Committee
Tracey Garett Chief Executive Officer (CEO) National Flood Forum
Jeremy Parr National Flood Risk Manager Natural Resources Wales
Alex Flucker Chief Operating Officer Data, Evidence & Innovation Scottish Environment Protection Agency
David Skaith Mayor of York and North Yorkshire York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority
Charles Roe Director of Mortgages UK Finance

Terms of reference

Terms of reference (PDF, 164 KB, 5 pages).

Contact details

floodstaskforce.secretariat@defra.gov.uk