Hull North MP welcomes final Pitt Report on flooding

Hull North MP Diana Johnson has welcomed the final Pitt Report, published today on the first anniversary of Hull's June 2007 flooding.

Sir Michael Pitt's report, entitled Learning lessons from the 2007 floods, calls for urgent and fundamental changes in the way that the country is adapting to the increased risk of flooding. It makes 92 recommendations.

Diana Johnson MP said: "Sir Michael Pitt's report is the latest, and perhaps the most wide-ranging, of a series of studies into the 2007 flood.

"I agree with Sir Michael that planning for floods is as important as similar work going on in government to combat the terrorist threat. The Government has already started implementing a number of Sir Michael's recommendations.

"It is vital that our future response to flooding emergencies is sure-footed, swift and not encumbered by needless bureaucracy. While I understand Sir Michael's argument for giving councils a lead role in planning for local flood emergencies, placing such important duties on local authorities does raise a dilemma for weaker performing ones.

"Sir Michael rightly recommends that the role of different agencies and tiers of government must be clearer in future, especially between the Environment Agency, local authorities and water companies. They must share information and work together more efficiently than in the past. These conclusions will inform the forthcoming Floods and Water Bill.

"The national arrangements for assisting with the costs of flood recovery work are covered in Sir Michael's report, and he recommends that local authorities should revisit their insurance arrangements. In Hull, I have previously questioned the effectiveness and fairness of the local authority's bureaucratic scheme for distributing flood aid and their slowness in seeking easily available funding in areas such as repairing flood damage to roads.

"Sir Michael endorses earlier conclusions of Hull's Independent Review Board, which reported that deficiencies in Hull's drainage system were recognised as long ago as 1996 - but had not been remedied.

"The question of whether Hull has sufficient water pumping and drainage capacity to cope with potential flooding still causes great concern. Sir Michael's report - and Hull's experience over the past year highlights the need for continuing scrutiny and regulation of the privatised water and other utility companies.

"The sheer scale of the post-flood recovery work in so many homes, schools and other public buildings placed great demands upon the capacity of the building industry to cope. This has held back progress. It is good news that the Government's massive increase in skills apprenticeships will help to address this challenge for the future.

"However, there is still concern about the resilience of the work being done in flood damaged homes - not least council homes. We would be better prepared for future flooding if we took the opportunity now to include water resilience measures in repairing flooded homes.

"The Pitt Report has many observations about climate change and sea levels, the viability of building in areas most vulnerable to flooding and long term planning of coastal flood defences. The Government will be producing further proposals to respond to the Pitt Review conclusions in these and other areas.

"The report commends our emergency services for their work in the flood. It is rightly a priority for our fire and rescue services to be equipped and trained to cater for future flood emergencies.

"Ultimately, the community spirit of Hull people pulling together got the city through the 2007 flood.

"Hull is now a Premiership City. Our readiness for future challenges from flooding must not be Second Division."

As part of the first anniversary of the Hull flood, Diana Johnson MP will be visiting Bransholme Fire Station in Noddle Hill Way on Friday 27 June and holding a coffee morning for residents in the flooded areas of Bransholme and Kingswood on Sunday 29 June.

Diana is also planning another visit to Bransholme Pumping Station where, following the MP's petition with local residents, Yorkshire Water have agreed to invest another £1.5 million.

The final Pitt Report can be read at http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/thepittreview/final_report.aspx.