Lewes MP and Lib Dem Shadow Environment Secretary Norman Baker has challenged the Environment Minister, Elliot Morley to get the Treasury to take seriously the issue of funding for flood protection measures. Norman laid down his challenge at the launch in central London of the Flood-Risk Management Research Consortium - a new body composed of different Government agencies which will seek to find scientific solutions to the problem of flooding.
Commenting after the launch, Norman said:
"I welcome the establishment of the Flood-Risk Management Consortium - this should prove invaluable in seeking to reduce the suffering caused by flooding to the thousands of people owning homes and businesses affected, including of course many people in Lewes.
"However, whilst this new Forum promises to make a useful contribution towards tackling the problem, the Government risks undermining its own efforts if it doesn't secure the commitment of the Treasury - to drop their archaic bookkeeping approach to a serious ongoing problem. This means not simply more money in total but also the end of the current 'cell' approach upon which the flooding problems in Lewes and other towns are based, in favour of a more holistic approach which will not disproportionately favour some affected areas over others. Such an approach would allow other possible solutions such as the flooding of fields North and South of Lewes or even the concept of a 'bypass', to be fairly considered.
"Until the Government sorts out the Treasury any new scientific solutions that the Forum may come up with are limited in value. At the meeting, Elliot Morley agreed with me on the importance of this. So do many of my constituents - now over 100 of them - who have written to the Chancellor Gordon Brown on this issue. I now look forward to hearing back from the Chancellor in response to the recent letter I sent him requesting an urgent meeting with a Treasury Minister on this issue."
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