01 March 2002
In a report published this week on England's inland flood defences, the Public Accounts Committee urges the agency to speed up plans for a new strategy to ensure adequate warning.
'It is unacceptable that for the next few years four out of ten homes will not receive at least two hours' warning of floods,' the MPs say.
The agency improved the percentage of households given two hours' warning to around 60% during the recent floods. But its aim to raise that to 80% of households at risk by 2009/10 is not good enough, the report says.
'People at risk have every right to expect public authorities to give the highest priority to improving flood defence systems,' said committee chair Edward Leigh. 'I am concerned by the lack of urgency on the part of the Environment Agency. Lives and property depend on it.'
Up to 5 million people and 2 million homes, businesses and other buildings in England are in areas at some risk of flooding, according to the report.
Between a third and a half of flood defences on main rivers are in a fair, poor or very poor state, and some local authorities have failed to complete a survey of defences in their areas, the MPs say.
PFmar2002
