Flooding

The weather has exacted a terrible toll recently. In Central Devon a number of homes have been flooded with some communities particularly hard hit.

Last week I joined the Prime Minister to inspect the damage in Buckfastleigh. This followed an earlier visit by the Secretary of State for the Environment who met residents in Kennford where a significant proportion of the village went under water.

No-one should underestimate the dreadful misery that flooding causes — to see your treasured possessions and most personal spaces ruined in a torrent of sludge and filth is sobering stuff. I am particularly grateful to those who gave me time to visit and discuss the challenges they now face.

One point I raised with the Prime Minister during his visit is my concern that those properties that have flooded should still be able to obtain affordable flood insurance even though their homes have been blighted.

This issue is the subject of negotiation between the Government and the insurance industry and I took the opportunity to press the PM further still on it during Prime Minister's Questions last week. The PM reassured me that he is on the case.

Another vital point on flooding is to make sure that local communities put Community Flood Plans in place. These ensure that the community, in partnership with key services, can establish effective ways to warn local residents of flood threats and also to precipitate swift local responses. I would urge any community that faces the possibility of flooding in the future to get involved.

These important issues are often forgotten when the sun is shining. With these ghastly memories and further danger perhaps close at hand - now is the time for renewed community engagement.

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