MP'S BROADSIDE ON FLOOD DEFENCES

Five years on from the serious floods that crippled Lewes, the town's MP, Norman Baker, has attacked the "insulting complacency" of the government which has still failed to implement the measures needed to effectively guard against a repeat of the floods of 2000.

Speaking on the floor of the House of Commons yesterday Norman berated the Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, for the lack of action the government had taken so far and for its lack of planned action for the next few years.

He challenged the Deputy Prime Minister as follows:

"Does he recall that in 2000, after my town of Lewes had been badly hit by floods that forced hundreds of people on to the streets, he said that he had had a wake-up call to deal with flood defences? Five years on, almost nothing has been done in Lewes to deal with our flood defence problem and nothing is planned for the next few years. Has he gone back to sleep after his wake-up call? When is he going to give Lewes the flood defences that it deserves?"

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In response the Deputy Prime Minister claimed that the Government has improved flood defences across the country, but couldn't specify any improvements made in Lewes nor give an assurance that any will be made in future.'

Speaking after the debate, Norman said:

"I am very angry at the insulting complacency of the government on this issue. The floods of 2000 devastated large parts of Lewes and the town, both its residents and its businesses, have a right to expect '“ 5 years on '“ that the government will have done more than it has to prevent a recurrence.

"No town in the country was as badly hit by the huge floods of 2000 than Lewes. John Prescott said back then that the government had had a wake-up call. Sadly, it now seems they've all gone back to sleep. It is disgraceful that, five years on, only the scheme to protect Malling is in place, while the rest of the town remains vulnerable.

"Whilst I realise that - sadly '“ Lewes is not an isolated case in suffering from the threat of flooding, the need to implement effective counter-measures is particularly urgent. I intend to continue to harry the government until they are shamed into action"