MORE FLOOD DEFENCES NEEDED TO TACKLE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE - HUHNE

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 26th Jun 2007

Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary, Chris Huhne MP has said that the floods in Yorkshire and the Midlands demonstrate the need for more flood defences, not the cuts planned by the Treasury.

Mr Huhne challenged Environment Secretary David Miliband in the Commons to commit to more resources for flood defences following a planning document sent out by the Environment Agency asking local areas to make cuts in real terms.

Commenting, Chris Huhne MP said:

"At a time of storms, droughts and floods, we need more and better maintained flood defences, not the cuts in real terms that regional flood defence committees have been asked to make. As the National Audit Office showed, anything else would be a false economy.

"The Treasury is following up the cuts in flood defence budgets last year with a demand for further cuts in the spending review. This is ridiculous given the human and economic cost of more extreme storms and floods.

"This is another example of the Chancellor failing to grasp the significance of climate change and our need for new defences against natural disasters.