UK flooding: David Cameron's pledge is not a blank cheque, minister says

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/feb/12/uk-flooding-david-cameron-pledge-not-blank-cheque

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The government has moved to qualify a commitment by David Cameron that money would be "no object" in clearing up after the floods when the transport secretary, Patrick McLoughlin, said there could be no blank cheques.

Amid some surprise in Whitehall on Tuesday when the prime minister appeared to make an open-ended commitment to the relief effort, McLoughlin denied that Cameron's promise meant unlimited public funds would be used to deal with the fallout from the floods.

"I don't think it's a blank cheque. I think what the prime minister was making very clear is that we are going to use every resource of the government and money is not the issue while we are in this relief job, in the first instance, of trying to bring relief to those communities that are affected," he told ITV's Daybreak.

"Then we have got to do the repairs of the structures and the railway infrastructure that's been damaged and then the other long-term issues, which will need some careful consideration."

Asked if the money should have been spent preparing for floods, he said: "Lots of money is being spent across the line but nobody was predicting exactly that this kind of incident was happening. Nobody was saying that we were going to get the problems we have got at Dawlish, where 4,000 tonnes of the embankment has been washed into the sea."

The intervention by the transport secretary came after a resolute Cameron vowed to marshal the forces of the state to tackle the flooding crisis, pledging a wider role for the army and unlimited public funds to protect families.

In words that may yet come back to haunt him, the prime minister said: "My message to the country today is this. Money is no object in this relief effort, whatever money is needed for it will be spent. We will take whatever steps are necessary." He added: "We are a wealthy country and we have taken good care of our public finances."

McLoughlin indicated there would be no new money from his department. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "What you have got to look at is what we are spending anyway. We are about to embark on a new five-year plan with Network Rail where they will be spending £38bn on the railway infrastructure over the next five years. That is some very big and important projects."

The BBC's political editor, Nick Robinson, said an extra £60m in the transport department would come from its underspend. Such money would normally return to the Treasury at the end of the financial year but will instead remain with McLoughlin's department.

The clarification of the prime minister's commitment came as Cameron moved to draw a line under two days of Whitehall infighting and mixed messages by returning from visiting stricken communities in south-west England to hold a Downing Street press conference.

With many communities complaining about the lack of help from official agencies, Cameron claimed that the emergency gold command system was working well, but he added: "It is clear the military could play a bigger role."

He explained that 1,600 personnel will have been deployed and thousands more were available.

Downing Street over the past 48 hours has been concerned that soldiers have so far been underused and confined to working on flood defences, rather than helping out exhausted volunteers struggling to save homes.

Hard-hit communities along the Thames and on the Somerset Levels were warned to expect further heavy rain and strong winds on Wednesday.

There were 121 flood warnings in place, 16 of which were severe, including warnings for Chertsey and Wraysbury, which have already been heavily affected. So far, about 1,000 properties have been reported as flooded over the past week.

Paul Leinster, the chief executive of the Environment Agency, said there was potential for more significant flooding. "Stormy weather will continue to threaten communities this week, with further flooding expected along the Thames in Berkshire and Surrey," he said. "River levels are high across south-west, central and southern England."

Aware that his qualities as a national leader were under scrutiny, Cameron refused to sugar the pill about the likelihood of the crisis ending soon, telling the country to prepare for the "depressingly long haul" that lay ahead. He said: "There is absolutely no sign of this threat abating, and with further rain and strong winds forecast throughout the week things may get worse before they get better."

He said that recovery in south-west England would take time, saying the broken rail line at Dawlish – where he had visited in the morning – would take at least six weeks to rebuild.

Cameron said new pumps were in action on the Somerset Levels removing 3m tonnes of water a day. He said this would take time, depending on the rain levels.

The prime minister said he was cancelling a trip next week to Israel to take personal charge of the relief operation.

Ed Miliband also confirmed he would cancel a visit to India, saying he needed to be in Britain. Labour's leader also visited homes in the Thames Valley but, in a sign of how the crisis was playing badly for politicians, found himself asked to leave a school hall in Wraysbury – the wife of the Conservative deputy mayor accused him of arriving for "a photo opportunity".

Cameron said he did not want councils to hold back from asking for help from the military. He said the army was being given "a new community support role, rather than just helping with flood defences".

Major General Patrick Saunders has been appointed to co-ordinate the military effort, including providing reassurance and assistance to the public, reinforcing sand bags and flood defences and getting medical assistance to voluntary people.

A 100-strong company of the 1st battalion Royal Regiment of Fusiliers has been deployed in flooded Wraysbury, Berkshire, and other troops will be used across the Thames Valley. However, there were farcical scenes in Wraysbury when arriving troops could not help because they did not have wellies or waders.

Cameron promised a tax deferral scheme would help businesses hit by flooding, while up to £10m in new funding is being found to support farmers. Grants for homeowners and businesses will be available to improve flood defences.

The prime minister also announced a new Cabinet committee to oversee the recovery, and will be chairing the first meeting on Thursday. Critics claim he shut the flood defence committee when he came into government.

He also promised he would be pressing to make sure the insurance industry acted quickly to meet claims. He said: "We need to make sure the insurance loss adjusters get into those houses quickly, carry out the assessment, and pay up the money fast. In most cases that is happening. If it isn't happening I want local MPs to be told about it, they can tell me about it and we can go after those insurance companies and make sure they pay up." The premier added houses that were not insured could access "hardship funds".

Cameron said he would look at whether the new national flood insurance scheme should be adapted to help businesses, as the insurance industry said it was inevitable that general house premiums would rise as the Association of British Insurers claimed that flooding was "the new normal".

Asked if there needed to be a rethink over building on flood plains, Cameron insisted official advice from the Environment Agency and others was followed in 99% of cases. Cameron was reluctant to discuss the performance of the agency's chairman, Lord Smith, pointedly praising its hard working frontline staff. He repeatedly said that a time would come to learn lessons, including a fresh look at train infrastructure and how "the pendulum against dredging swung too far in the past".

Cameron said his views on whether the floods and climate change were the same as when he answered questions in the House of Commons, and said he "suspected" a connection. "I think the point I would make is whatever your view, clearly we have had and are having some pretty extreme weather," he said. "So whatever your view about climate change, it makes sense to mitigate it and act to deal with that weather".

But he rejected calls from Ukip and the Daily Mail to divert funds from the overseas aid budget to help flood victims. "We don't have to make a choice about raiding the aid budget or spending the correct money here at home," he said. "We will spend the correct money here at home, be in no doubt about it, and we will do that without interfering with our aid budget."