Comment

AS Gordon Brown now appears to be in listening mode following last week's electoral meltdown, perhaps he would be kind enough to get his hearing gear around the recommendations made in a new report into last year's summer floods.

A cross-party committee of MPs says the systems for dealing with such events are "unclear and chaotic", the Government is not allocating enough cash to prevent a repeat of last year's floods, and key infrastructure such as power stations are too vulnerable.

It is damning stuff and we hope the Government will implement the recommendations made by both the environment select committee and Sir Michael Pitt when his independent review into the floods is complete.

Many of those affected by the floods last June and July are still suffering. The floods were a wake-up call to those in authority. People will not forgive this or any future government if that call goes unheeded.

This newspaper has called before for one body to have overall responsibility for the floods prediction, prevention and reaction. The Environment Agency is best placed to be that body - and Sir Michael Pitt is best placed to take overall control of it.

The £800 million a year promised by the Government for flood management by 2010 falls short of the £1 billion recommended. That extra cash needs to be found.

We all hope that the events of last summer were a once in a lifetime happening. But if they are not then we need to be far better prepared than we were then or we are now.

8:34am Thursday 8th May 2008

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