The Government should consult on introducing a statutory duty for Fire and Rescue Services in England to respond to flooding, supported by dedicated funding for training, equipment, and operational planning. This should be undertaken by the end of 2025. This would align England with devolved administrations and strengthen national flood resilience. This should also look at making the Fire and Rescue Services a statutory consultee in planning decisions, to respond to local flooding situations....

The Government should consult on introducing a statutory duty for Fire and Rescue Services in England to respond to flooding, supported by dedicated funding for training, equipment, and operational planning. This should be undertaken by the end of 2025. This would align England with devolved administrations and strengthen national flood resilience. This should also look at making the Fire and Rescue Services a statutory consultee in planning decisions, to respond to local flooding situations. (Recommendation, Paragraph 60) 61 Embedding flood resilience across Government policy and public investment Type: recommendation | Number: 15 | Response status: accepted Government response: We agree with the importance of effective public communication. The Environment Agency currently has a dedicated week of annual flood awareness raising activity known as Flood Action Week and is committed to continually improving the effectiveness of its communication activity. In October 2025, the