Plea to Ministers on floods spending

City of York Labour MP Hugh Bayley will urge Environment Minister Richard Benyon to lobby the Treasury to re-think cuts of £11.8m to spending on flood defences in the region if the economy stumbles and the Government is forced to turn on spending taps.

He will lead a Westminster debate to protest about the cuts, which have led to three major schemes in the region – in Leeds, York and Thirsk – being shelved.

Mr Bayley said: “To cut funding when the flood risk is increasing is ludicrous and irresponsible. It will cost more in the long run than the short-term savings that will be made.” The Government is expected to confirm the scale of cuts this week, with Yorkshire receiving one of the lowest settlements for capital projects in the country.

The Environment Agency has said there will only be £16.9m for projects in the next financial year, down from £28.7m, although funding for the maintenance of existing schemes will continue.