Flooding Debate

Full Debate: Read Full Debate

Lord Herbert of South Downs

Main Page: Lord Herbert of South Downs (Conservative - Life peer)

Flooding

Lord Herbert of South Downs Excerpts
Monday 10th February 2014

(10 years, 10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text

Urgent Questions are proposed each morning by backbench MPs, and up to two may be selected each day by the Speaker. Chosen Urgent Questions are announced 30 minutes before Parliament sits each day.

Each Urgent Question requires a Government Minister to give a response on the debate topic.

This information is provided by Parallel Parliament and does not comprise part of the offical record

Lord Pickles Portrait Mr Pickles
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

I answered this the last time I appeared in the House. The reason is that there is a threshold of €3.7 billion to get over, and even should we get over the excitement of getting over the threshold to get the EU money, the way the system works means we would have to pay most of it back.

Lord Herbert of South Downs Portrait Nick Herbert (Arundel and South Downs) (Con)
- Hansard - -

My constituency has experienced some river flooding, but it has not been as severe as that in other areas. However, there are particular problems with surface water flooding in the local villages, including the very unpleasant effects of foul water and overflowing sewerage systems. A substantial amount of new housing is proposed in those areas, at a level that local authorities consider to be unsustainable. Can my right hon. Friend assure me that in setting housing numbers, local authorities will be able to take into account the adequacy of the infrastructure to support new housing, so that the current problems do not become worse in the future?

Lord Pickles Portrait Mr Pickles
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

My right hon. Friend has conducted a long campaign in this regard, and he has made a number of very reasonable points. I think that such decisions must be made on the basis of scientific fact. The rising level of groundwater will continue to cause problems in my right hon. Friend’s constituency, my constituency and, indeed, most constituencies until well into June, even if from now on things start to shine.