Short term cuts in flood defences are severely short-sighted

 

Environment secretary Liz Truss, was widely reported on Sunday as saying that the Government had increased funding in flood defence since 2010, and, in light of the ”unprecedented” rain fall in December, was now reviewing the adequacy of investment in flood protection.

However, her ministerial colleague, Lord Gardiner of Kimble, revealed figures in a written answer just before Christmas that contradict Ms Truss’s assertions on ever increasing flood protection funding, providing  the following figures to Lord Kennedy of Southwark in a written answer released on 22 December ( Question HL4341)

Capital investment on flood defence (excluding the exceptional funding provided as a result of the 2013/14 floods, which are added in brackets)

 

2010/11	£364.9m;
2011/12	£260.7m
2012/13	£269.1m
2013/14	£295.3m(£25m)
2014/15	£353.3m (£125)

The cuts ordered by Chancellor George Osborne as part of his economic  austerity strategy were surely short-sighted and  misguidedly short-term