Ministers cut flood defences despite storms and global warming - Huhne

10.12.43pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 2nd Aug 2006

Government plans cut flood defences despite storms and global warming

The Government has been challenged to protect spending on flood defences and environmental policing after leaked emails from senior officials show sharp planned cuts for the rest of the financial year.

The cuts are planned despite the increasing threat of extreme storms and flooding due to global warming.

The Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs has told the Environment Agency to cut another £15 million from flood defence management in this year's budget, bringing the total cuts to 12.5 per cent. The cuts will take effect in the second half of the financial year.

Chris Huhne MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary, today published a leaked email that has been sent to senior staff in the Environment Agency setting out the 'challenging' cuts in the organisation's budget.

Commenting, Mr Huhne said "These latest cuts mean that maintenance on flood defences will be cut back year after year, weakening their structure. This is an incredibly foolish false economy when we know that storms are becoming more extreme and flood risk is increasing due to global warming.

"Apart from maintenance, the flood awareness service that prepares those at risk will also be cut back.

"These cuts fly in the face of common sense and the best judgment of the Environment Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee, whose report on the Environment Agency called for increased flood defence spending to £750 million a year by 2011-2015. Now the agency is being forced to go backwards at a canter.

"Flood defences are being cut because of incompetence in the department which led to a rumoured £200 million overspending on single farm payments in England.

"This cock-up by Margaret Beckett - duly promoted to show her feeble grasp of her portfolio in the Middle East - should be met from the contingency reserve not key budget lines for environmental spending.

"In addition, this cut in flood defences imperils the insurance cover for up to 100,000 people. The Association of British Insurers was promised better flood defences and agreed that it would keep people at risk on cover as a result."