Cotswolds News
MPs question future of funds for flooding
8:00am Tuesday 21st February 2012
THE future of funding defences against flooding has been called into question by MPs.
A probe into flood risk management by a committee of MPs has concluded there is currently no clear idea on how future costs will be covered.
The Public Accounts Select Committee, chaired by Margaret Hodge, also said there was “no clarity about where the buck stops” for responsibility for flood protection.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) says it shares responsibility with the Environment Agency and local councils.
But Mrs Hodge said: “It is not acceptable local people do not know clearly where responsibility for decisions lies when things go wrong.”
Her remarks were backed by Charles Tucker, chairman of the National Flood Forum and a Wychavon district and Pershore town councillor – who said the committee had “hit the nail on the head”.
The committee criticised the lack of public accountability, also saying Defra was not enforcing any common standard to deal with flood risk.
But Defra says the country is better prepared than ever to tackle flooding.
The committee said with the cost of flood protection estimated to rise to between £1.5 to £3.5 billion over the next three years, it was concerned to hear the Environment Agency’s flood budget had actually been cut.
A Defra spokeswoman said: “The most at-risk and deprived areas can receive more money for flood defence schemes, backed by funding from the private sector.”
She also said that councils were accountable for local flood risk management and should be the first port of call for affected communities.