Business of the House

Chris Williamson Excerpts

Thursday 22nd March 2012 Commons Chamber

[Sir George Young]

As my hon. Friend knows, Crossrail is under way, and it would be wholly in order for him to develop that point at greater length in the Budget debate—perhaps tomorrow, if he is around. The Minister who replies to that debate will set out the coalition Government’s view on infrastructure. My hon. Friend will also have seen what the Prime Minister said in his speech on Monday about developing new models for financing infrastructure in this country.

[Chris Williamson (Derby North) (Lab)]

Can we have an urgent debate on the implications of the Government’s decision to cut the Environment Agency’s budget for flood defence work, because that is having a significant impact on my constituents in Darley Abbey and Chester Green, who are potentially exposed to devastating flooding and escalating—indeed, rocketing—home insurance bills?

[Sir George Young]

As the hon. Gentleman will know, the Government have had to take difficult decisions in order to get expenditure back under control, but I will pursue the issue he raises through the Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Newbury (Richard Benyon), and see whether the Environment Agency, which might be the funding body, has resources available to tackle it.