We are urgently developing research requirements with other European laboratories to make sure we understand and the disease (Schmallenberg) better.£16M for flood protection
LOCAL communities across England will benefit from £16 million funding to help them tackle surface water flooding, Hilary Benn, the environment secretary, announced yesterday (Tuesday, August 18).
£9.7 million has been awarded to 77 local authorities in areas where evidence shows that the risk and potential impact of surface water flooding could be highest.
Local authorities in all other areas will also be able to bid for a share of £5 million to help them deal with known local flooding problems.
An additional £1 million will be spent on making training, data and other tools available to help all local authorities manage flood risk.
Mr Benn said: “Local authorities have a crucial role to play in tackling flooding and it’s vital that they have the information, resources and skills they need. That’s why we’ve provided this money and we want to make sure it gets to where it’s most needed and where it can make the biggest difference.’
The money is the latest Defra withdrawal from a pot of money the Government has set aside to implement recommendations following Sir Michael Pitt’s investigation into the cause of the 2007 floods.
Pitt recommended giving local authorities new responsibilities for flood risk management and the development of surface water management plans. The Environment Agency has estimated that around two-thirds of the flooding in summer 2007 was caused by surface water.
