Ms Clare McGrath:

I will ask the director of engineering to reply to that. With regard to what the Office of Public Works does, I am concerned about the perception that there are lots of reports and so forth. A total of 38,000 mapped areas will emerge from the CFRAM in this regard. It will involve the 300 areas I have mentioned, 90 of which are coastal. In our work we take the greatest degree of care to ensure we are not adding to risk, upstream or downstream. That involves a great deal of work.

It is important that the committee knows what is involved in bringing a scheme forward. There are very complex engineering and construction operations where physical works are involved. These impact a great deal on people's lives, the built heritage and the natural environment. They require lengthy decision-making. When we reach the point of carrying out works, we are going in on and interfering with other people's property and we revert the property to them when we have completed the works. That is unlike when we are carrying out construction work on a building site. There are, therefore, long lead-in times, including lead-in consultation times. At all times we have regard to and take account of what the public says about the schemes we are proposing.

The aspects of the scheme contributing to the length of time include establishing the most appropriate solution, technically and economically, from the various ranges of mitigation options. It is quite complex in the lower Lee area. Quite correctly, there is extensive public consultation at the various stages so all those affected by it and even some who are not directly affected but who have a view on the scheme have an input to the design. Ecological and archaeological issues invariably arise. They must be analysed and we must provide the necessary information to ensure we get the proper statutory consent. There is constant balancing between providing the protection from flooding on the one side and on the other side ensuring we are not doing harm ecologically, environmentally or in other places as well. Then there are the processes and timescales for procuring. We do not undertake the work ourselves. We largely maintain schemes, so consultants and contractors are required. That is done under EU procurement and there is a time period attached to it as well.

It is a very long process given the nature of what we are doing. I will ask my colleague, the director of engineering, to discuss the lower Lee scheme.