Friday 09 May 2008 4:51 pm
Commenting on today's [Wednesday] Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee report on last summer's flooding, Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary, Steve Webb said:

"This report shows that the Government is failing to grasp the seriousness of the situation. With severe floods likely to become more common due to climate change, we need a real strategy and real investment to protect high-risk areas.

"Current funding is totally inadequate. The ABI, the Government's own Foresight report and the agency responsible for flood defences are all calling for spending to be increased to £1bn, but their advice is falling on deaf ears.

"The £200m increase the Government announced last year does not stand up to scrutiny when inflation and rising costs in the building trade are taken into consideration. It is too little to cope with the increasing risks the country faces, and doesn't even come fully into effect for another two years.

"The £34.5 million the Government has set aside to implement the recommendations in the interim Pitt Review looks like the money they've got left over. The Government has failed to provide any details about how this money will be spent, or about how the Pitt Review will be funded in the future.

"The report also reveals that no one is responsible for protecting people and properties from surface water, which caused around two-thirds of the flooding last summer.

"It is time for the Government to clarify who is responsible and ensure that all sources of flooding are properly addressed, so that thousands of people are saved from a repeat of the misery still being suffered by so many after last year's floods."


© 2008 The Liberal Democrats