Policy paper

Flooding in England: lead government department plan

This sets out Defra’s role in planning for and responding to flooding emergencies to help others design their own response.

From:
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
Published
27 November 2013
Last updated
30 January 2015 — See all updates
This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

Documents

Flooding in England: Lead Government Department Plan

Ref: PB14297

PDF, 437 KB, 47 pages

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Details

The lead government department plan is designed primarily for use by Defra staff involved in flood emergency planning. Also those who would be involved in the response to a flooding incident. But it will also help others involved in flood emergency planning and response arrangements to design their own internal processes to fit with those of Defra.

The lead department plan sets out Defra’s role:

  • as lead government department (LGD) in central government planning for and responding to flooding emergencies; and
  • in dealing with the consequences of flooding for other parts of its specific departmental responsibilities - for such matters as waste, water and food supply, impacts on farming and the environment

In meeting Defra’s lead department responsibilities, there is a deliberate focus on the strategic objectives for the central government response to emergencies, which are to:

  • protect human life and as far as possible, property and the environment;
  • alleviate suffering
  • support the continuity of everyday activity and the restoration of disrupted services at the earliest opportunity; and
  • uphold the rule of law and the democratic process
Published 27 November 2013
Last updated 30 January 2015 + show all updates

  1. Document updated to reflect lessons learned from the winter floods 2013/14: updates under risk to life and property, types of flooding covered, managing a crisis, local or national, other partners, working with EA and DCLG.

  2. First published.