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UK floods: Environment Agency boss hits back at Pickles UK floods: Downing Street seeks to calm ministerial row
(about 2 hours later)
Environment Agency chairman Lord Smith has said he will not allow ministers to question his staff's "expertise and professionalism" as the political row over the floods crisis escalates. Downing Street is urging unity after reports of a clash between senior ministers over the UK's response to the flooding crisis.
He was responding to claims by Eric Pickles that ministers had been given bad advice over river dredging. Environment Secretary Owen Paterson and Communities Secretary Eric Pickles are thought to be at odds over the performance of the Environment Agency.
The communities secretary said the agency had also tried to divide town and country over funding. No 10 did not deny Mr Paterson had complained about his colleague but said both were doing an "excellent job".
The BBC's Norman Smith said there was an "ugly blame game" going on. The government will have to defend its response later in Parliament.
Our correspondent said there was an increasing rift within government over its response to the widespread floods across England, with ministers attacking each other and appearing to be at "sixes and sevens". Commons Speaker John Bercow has granted Labour an urgent question to ask about the government's handling of the floods crisis while the government's latest Cobra emergency meeting will take place at 1600 GMT.
'Grandstanding' It is not clear whether Mr Pickles or Mr Paterson, who is recovering from an eye operation, will appear at the despatch box to defend the government's handling of the crisis at 1530 GMT.
The BBC understands that Environment Secretary Owen Paterson has complained "in the strongest possible terms" to the prime minister about what he calls Mr Pickles' "grandstanding" in an BBC interview on Sunday. The escalating political row over the UK's preparedness came as river levels continued to rise along the River Thames in Berkshire and Surrey - leading to 16 severe flood warnings.
Mr Pickles suggested the government relied too much on Environment Agency advice and "made a mistake" by not dredging the flood-hit Somerset Levels earlier. On Sunday, Mr Pickles - currently co-ordinating the UK's floods response - suggested the government relied too much on Environment Agency advice and "made a mistake" by not dredging the flood-hit Somerset Levels earlier.
He also gave lukewarm support for Lord Smith, the embattled former Labour minister heading the Environment Agency, saying he would "not wear a T-shirt saying save Chris Smith". He also gave lukewarm support for the Agency, saying he would "not wear a save Chris Smith T-shirt".
In response, Lord Smith told BBC Radio 4's Today he had no intention of resigning and said the agency's response had been dictated by Treasury rules on how much could be spent on individual flood defence schemes. The BBC understands that Mr Paterson has complained "in the strongest possible terms" to the prime minister about what he called Mr Pickles' "grandstanding".
"When I hear someone criticising the expertise and the professionalism of my staff who know a hundred times more about flood risk management than any politician ever does, I am afraid I am not going to sit idly by," he said. Asked about the issue, No 10 did not deny that Mr Paterson had protested at his colleague's comments and would not confirm who would co-ordinate the response when the environment secretary returns to work.
"The agency is bound by the rules that are laid down by government. When someone says they followed the agency's advice, what they were actually doing was following the Treasury rules which are laid down." "What needs to happen and is happening is for the government to come together," a spokesman said.
Lord Smith said he had received backing from Mr Paterson, who is currently recovering from eye surgery and whose role co-ordinating the government's response has been taken over by Mr Pickles. Downing Street defended the Agency's handling of the crisis. "Everyone at the Environment Agency including Chris Smith has got an important job to do and they should keep doing it," the spokesman added.
Defending the agency's approach to dredging swollen rivers, he said the body had stumped up £400,000 last year for the Somerset Levels - "the maximum amount the Treasury rules allowed us to do" - but the government and other organisations had not provided similar sums to enable the work, estimated to cost £4m, to go ahead. Lord Smith has acknowledged he could have done more to make the case for river dredging last year but said he would not allow ministers to question his staff's "expertise and professionalism".
Speaking later to BBC Radio 5Live, he added: "I will apologise for probably not having done enough to twist arms with county councils, district councils, drainage boards and others in order to come to the table along with us to get those funds on the table for dredging last year. "I am there to be a punch bag. My staff are not," he told the BBC News Channel, adding that he would not "take lessons" from Mr Pickles on running his organisation.
But he urged all sides to refrain from the "briefing and sniping of recent times" and focus on the "serious business" of protecting peoples' homes and livelihoods.
Lord Smith, who has rejected calls for some quarters to resign, said the agency's response had been dictated by Treasury rules on how much could be spent on individual flood defence schemes.
He said the body had stumped up £400,000 last year for dredging in the Somerset Levels - "the maximum amount the Treasury rules allowed us to do" - but the government and other organisations had not provided similar sums to enable the work, estimated to cost £4m, to go ahead.
"I will apologise for probably not having done enough to twist arms with county councils, district councils, drainage boards and others in order to come to the table along with us to get those funds on the table for dredging last year.
"We should have done more to persuade people"."We should have done more to persuade people".
The BBC's environment analyst Roger Harrabin said had been told that the environment department was furious at Mr Pickles' intervention. But he said he would not apologise for the Treasury rules and the "limitations" they placed on his agency.
However, Downing Street refused to say whether any complaint had been transmitted, but said the prime minister was happy with the way Mr Pickles had done his job.
'Finger of blame''Finger of blame'
Visiting flooded villages in Somerset on Monday, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said although there may be grounds for a future review of the government's response, "now is not the time to point the finger of blame".Visiting flooded villages in Somerset on Monday, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said although there may be grounds for a future review of the government's response, "now is not the time to point the finger of blame".
"What the people I have met here are more interested in is not who is blaming whom but how people are working together to make sure their businesses are back to full strength, their homes are kept safe and their farms are back to full operation." he said."What the people I have met here are more interested in is not who is blaming whom but how people are working together to make sure their businesses are back to full strength, their homes are kept safe and their farms are back to full operation." he said.
Former Floods Minister Richard Benyon has also praised the work of the Environment Agency after it was strongly criticised by Ian Liddell-Grainger, the Conservative MP for Bridgwater.
Mr Liddell-Grainger suggested Lord Smith's head should be "flushed down" a toilet but Mr Benyon said his colleague's comments were "silly and stupid".
Meanwhile, Labour have accused ministers of ignoring local warnings about the need for dredging, cutting funding for flood defences and fighting "like ferrets in a sack".Meanwhile, Labour have accused ministers of ignoring local warnings about the need for dredging, cutting funding for flood defences and fighting "like ferrets in a sack".
"With water levels rising and thousands of homes at risk, it is unbelievable that ministers have embarked on an internal blame game instead of focusing on helping the communities affected by the floods," said shadow environment secretary Maria Eagle."With water levels rising and thousands of homes at risk, it is unbelievable that ministers have embarked on an internal blame game instead of focusing on helping the communities affected by the floods," said shadow environment secretary Maria Eagle.
Water industry professionals have pointed out that the Environment Agency had a statutory responsibility to protect life before property and property before farmland, and this was not at officials' discretion.