The environment secretary has been speaking to broadcasters about the UK government’s response to this weekend’s devastating flooding, and hit out at the Tories for the state of flood defences.
Steve Reed said he has been “kept updated” on the situation, and has today held an “emergency meeting” with the Environment Agency.
He offers his “sympathies to everybody who’s been affected”, and gives thanks to emergency services on the ground.
Asked if there will be emergency funding, the minister said agencies are offering “whatever support they can”.
He also said additional support has been offered to the Welsh government, but “they haven’t said that they need that” yet.
‘Climate change has worsened floods’
Asked about the state of the UK’s flood defences, Mr Reed said: “This government inherited from the previous government flood defences that are in the worst condition on record.
“Now we’ve allocated in the budget £2.4bn to upgrade our flood defences, better maintain those we already have, build new flood defences to keep people safe.
“That will make a difference and that’s what we need to do to cope much better with the impact of climate change that we’re seeing with these floods.”
Asked how quickly the improvements will happen, Mr Reed said work is already under way, and it will continue over the next two years.
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