Lib Dems vow to boost flood defence spending

Brighton Lib Dem Conference - Guardian Unlimited - Paul Owen - Thursday September 20, 2007

The Liberal Democrats today pledged to increase flood defence spending to £1bn a year by 2010.

Referring to the severe floods suffered by many areas of Britain earlier this year, Martin Horwood, the Lib Dems' junior environment spokesman, warned the party's Brighton conference: "Somewhere, some time, this will happen again."

Delegates from flooded areas - such as Sheffield, Hull and Gloucestershire - spoke out against national and local deficiencies in the response to the flooding.

Paul Scriven, the Lib Dems' candidate for Sheffield Central, said: "Never would you think that in a city like Sheffield, at the centre of England, far from the sea, two people would die and rivers would rise to 6ft 7ins."

Richard Burt from West Worcestershire said: "Many thousands are still suffering the stress of losing their homes and possessions. This is the result of government failure to learn the lessons of 2001."