7. What is the Welsh Government doing to support communities hit by recurring floods? OQ58208

Thank you. Our funding objectives to reduce flood risk to communities are set out in our national flood strategy and the programme for government. This year, we announced a record level of investment of more than £214 million over the next three years to help protect at least 45,000 homes from flood risk.

Thank you for that answer, Minister. I’ve heard accounts from many of my constituents really struggling to get insurance in subsequent years after flooding events. Some of these properties have not even been flooded, but they fall within the postcode area, and therefore are classed as high flood risk. These people have significantly less choice of insurance providers, often paying a lot higher for premiums, as there are few options for them to shop around. Those people are very fearful of even making very small insurance claims, for fear of actually losing their insurance altogether. So, what support can the Welsh Government give to these residents who are facing this impossible situation? Diolch, Llywydd.

Yes, there is a specialist insurance scheme, which I’m sure the Member is aware of, called Flood Re, which allows people who have properties in flood-risk areas—and I appreciate that it’s even more frustrating if they haven't actually been flooded—to obtain insurance through the Flood Re programme. That's a programme in which a number of insurers come together to spread the risk, effectively, of that. We also assist local authorities to assist people who really struggle to get the insurance as well. And, of course, we have a number of income support projects to do that. So, there is a programme for that in place. I appreciate it can be more expensive, then, to insure your house, and that's a matter I'm afraid that we have no power to intervene in, as the insurance industry is not devolved. But we work closely with the UK authorities and we've had a number of summits in the past, where we've got the insurance companies to the table—a number of my colleagues have been involved in those summits—to make sure that the Flood Re programme is fit for purpose and isn't just completely unaffordable for those people who are affected.