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| Brown warns over extreme weather | |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said the siting of infrastructure needs to be reviewed in the wake of flooding across England over the past few weeks. | Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said the siting of infrastructure needs to be reviewed in the wake of flooding across England over the past few weeks. |
| Water and electricity have been hit in Gloucestershire after a water treatment works was flooded and the rising waters threatened an electricity substation. | |
| Mr Brown, in his No 10 press briefing, said climate change meant planning for more extreme weather events was needed. | Mr Brown, in his No 10 press briefing, said climate change meant planning for more extreme weather events was needed. |
| It also included boosting urban drains to cope with heavier downpours. | |
| Asked whether he was confident everything that could have been done had been done, Mr Brown said: "I think the emergency services have done a great job. | Asked whether he was confident everything that could have been done had been done, Mr Brown said: "I think the emergency services have done a great job. |
| "In each of the individual instances where people have raised questions - I think answers have been given." | "In each of the individual instances where people have raised questions - I think answers have been given." |
| Helicopter | |
| He added: "Obviously like every advanced industrial country we're coming to terms with some of the issues surrounding climate change. | |
| "It's pretty clear that some of the 19th Century structures we're dealing with - infrastructure and where they were sited - that is something we're going to have to review." | |
| Mr Brown also dismissed criticism that his plans for three million new homes by 2020 would increase flood risks. | |
| He said advice about new building was being "tightened up" and the Environment Agency would be asked for advice in all cases where there was a "question mark over a particular area and the flooding defences". | |
| He said the agency could make its feelings clear right up to the stage when the application was considered by the secretary of state and said the Environment Agency was "determined to make their views known where any housing development could be at risk of possible flooding". | |
| Earlier Mr Brown had flown in by helicopter to some of the worst hit areas of Gloucestershire. | Earlier Mr Brown had flown in by helicopter to some of the worst hit areas of Gloucestershire. |
| Environment Secretary Hilary Benn is to make a statement to MPs later on Monday on the floods. | |
| The housing green paper is also to be unveiled in a statement to MPs. |