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 19 July 2008 15:52 BST

Flood defence spending 'inadequate'

Wednesday, 10 Oct 2007 09:45
This summer's floods are estimated to have cost insurers more than £3 billion

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Insurers have warned they may not be able to continue providing cover against flooding due to a lack of funding for flood defences.

Chancellor Alistair Darling announced yesterday that spending on flood defences would reach £800 million by 2011.

But the Association of British Insurers (ABI) insists that the amount confirmed as part of the comprehensive spending review (CSR) is inadequate.

The trade association said the amount of cash the government plans to commit to flood defences over the next three years is less than it had requested even before this summer's flooding.

According to the latest estimates from the ABI, June and July's floods will cost the insurance industry more than £3 billion.

It is now pressing the government to commit more cash to bolster the nation's flood defences.

ABI director general Stephen Haddrill said: "The insurance industry is helping tens of thousands of people affected by flooding this summer, but the Government has now failed to play its part.

"Millions of homeowners and businesses around the country have been let down by the government's failure to commit sufficient money to new and improved flood defences."

But speaking on the Today programme, the head of the Environment Agency said the funding announced by the government was a good start towards addressing the problem of flooding. Baroness Young added that she expected more funds to be forthcoming.

"It certainly is a very good start," she said, pointing out that the level of funding for flood defences had doubled since 1997 and arguing that the latest cash announced by the government represented "a significant uplift".

Baroness Young made the comments ahead of an appearance before parliament's environment, food and rural affairs committee, where she is expected to be questioned about what more could have been done to help communities hit by the summer's floods.

Yesterday environment secretary Hilary Benn emphasised that the flood budget announced by the government was the minimum amount the state intended to spend.

"It is too early to determine whether this will be the final allocation or whether it will be possible to go beyond these figures, but I won't rule that out," he stressed.

Mr Benn added that the findings of an independent inquiry into the summer's floods, chaired by Sir Michael Pitt, would be presented by the end of the year.End of story


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