Norman Baker MP Member of Parliament for Lewes constituency
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Lewes,
East Sussex,
BN7 2LJ.
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Local MP challenges minister over flood defence funding for Lewes
Local Lib Dem MP, Norman Baker, yesterday challenged DEFRA Minister, Ian Pearson MP, over the insufficient level of funding provided for flood defences by the government and invited him to visit Lewes to witness the problems experienced by local people since the 2000 floods which hit the town.
Mr Baker put these questions to the Minister for Climate Change and the Environment during a packed meeting of the Associate Parliamentary Group on Flood Prevention, which he was chairing. Norman also further quizzed the Minister over whether the poor level of finance set aside for the provision of flood defences and DEFRA generally was a symptom of the government’s lack of co-ordination with regards tackling climate change generally.
The Minister assured the group that the government was taking the issue of tackling climate change seriously and outlined how he was putting forward the case to the Treasury for a longer term funding settlement for flood prevention.
Mr Baker will now be formally writing to the Minister to request a date for his visit to the local area.
Commenting on the meeting Norman said:
"I am very pleased to have had the opportunity to discuss the situation in Lewes with the Minister and to chair a full and frank discussion on the issue of flood prevention generally.
"The issue of inadequate funding provision for flood defences, and specifically the predicted £700m funding shortfall over 15 years, is of particular importance to people living in the Lewes area whose homes and businesses were profoundly affected by the terrible floods of 2000. What is more, economic models show that money spent on flood defences produce a return six times greater than if the money were not spent. I will continue to lobby Ministers, both at DEFRA and the Treasury, for increased long-term financing for flood prevention schemes in the local area."