Cheltenham MP Urges Bigger, Bolder Floods Bill

Cheltenham MP Martin Horwood, who is Liberal Democrat floods spokesman, has called on the government to strengthen its 'timid' legislation on flooding. He and Lib Dem colleague Roger Williams have tabled the first 14 amendments to the government's Floods and Water Management Bill which is due to start detailed consideration in the House of Commons soon.

Martin is the only Gloucestershire MP to table any amendments.

The amendments cover water bills, flood defences, insurance and planning. New Clause 1 would give the Secretary of State powers to introduce 'social tariffs' for water bills, to help the least well-off customers just as similar special tariffs currently help energy customers. New Clause 2 would set up an extra fund for flood defences paid for by diverting extra profits from water companies. New Clause 4 would tackle many of the issues Cheltenham people have raised with Martin over insurance - including punitive premiums and excess charges, imposed even when new flood defences had been put in place. New Clause 6 would force ministers to act on making new homes in flood risk areas flood-resilient while New Clause 8 would effectively give local authorities the power to refuse planning permission to new developemnst in flood risk areas.

Martin commented 'Many of these amendments tackle issues that Cheltenham constituents have brought to me over the years since our floods in 2007. I called for more first hand accounts last year and I'll be taking this opportunity to put the concerns of Gloucestershire centre stage during the passage of the bill. I'm very grateful to everyone who responded. Many of these issues are still outstanding. Although the normal pattern is for government to use its majority to refuse such opposition amendments, it can then substitute its own on the same subject or the minister can make policy statements that address the issues. This is an important way to put pressure on government to achieve real change. These are issues that haven't been tackled in this timid little bill so far. Two and a half years after the floods that devastated Gloucestershire, we expected better. I really hope the government listens to the evidence of peoples' real experiences and understands that these problem need to be tackled.'

The first day of the bill's committee stage is on 12 January with an initial scrutiny stage on 7 January.