GOVERNMENT MUST DO MORE TO PROTECT AGAINST FLOODING-HOLMES

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 7th Dec 2007

Commenting on the newly released Environment Agency review of the handling of this summer's floods, Paul Holmes Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Chesterfield said:

"The Government must listen to the Environment Agency and give it a strategic overview of flood management.

"Prevention, of course, is better than cure and cleaning up afterwards. It is essential that the Government bring forward the funding to for the vital schemes to protect the Rother, the Hipper and the Whitting. It could be too late if we have to wait until 2011 or even later before anything is done.

"It is high time that the Government listened to the Environment Agency, the insurance companies and the voice of reason and take the necessary steps to prevent a repeat of the devastation that we saw this summer in Chesterfield and elsewhere."