Millions there will be affected by that, whereas the Flooding Crisis is, proportionately, affecting very few.
Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what additional funding for the years 2000–01 and 2001–02 over and above the bilateral 829W country programme for Mozambique contained in the Departmental report 1999 is to be made available for Mozambique following the Recent Flooding Crisis.
The hon. Gentleman is right that the response of the emergency services to the Flooding Crisis in Boscastle was exemplary.
The local force did not have Airwave because the earlier foot and mouth problems had prevented it from putting up the masts, which was a difficulty during the Flooding Crisis.
Following last year's events, Gloucestershire's deputy chief fire officer Chris Griffin said in response to Sir Ken Knight's comments: "The arrangements between the three emergency services worked well during the summer's Flooding Crisis and the working relationship was strengthened and enhanced by their close proximity.
There is a tri-service control centre, with control rooms for the police, fire and ambulance services, and it worked incredibly well during the Flooding Crisis in 2007.
Rather than raiding the Department for International Development budget, which is committed expenditure, may we debate urgently an application to the European solidarity fund, which exists to help people during a Flooding Crisis?
Just today, two parish councillors in my area have told me about meetings that they will have in the next few weeks to consider the response to the Flooding Crisis.
It's always the issue - blame the regulator - ” in his words - “as happened in the Flooding Crisis with the Environment Agency.
Immediately following the Flooding Crisis, we released £183 million in funds to local councils to deal with the impact that would have had in terms of local road damage.
I have heard him in private in ministerial meetings, particularly during the Flooding Crisis, stand up for councillors and all that they were doing at that time.
During the Flooding Crisis in February the Prime Minister promised that money would be no object, but a report released by the Select Committee on Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on Tuesday shows that instead of increasing spending on flood defences, the Government have cut funding by more than 17% in real terms, and that only 5% of the relief money that the Prime Minister promised farmers has been paid.
Before I proceed to a catch-up on where we are, I repeat, as I have on many occasions, my thanks to everyone who was concerned during the Flooding Crisis with dealing with the conditions on the ground.
I am personally grateful to the Prime Minister for the many visits he made to Somerset during the Flooding Crisis earlier this year.
I recognise and commend the swift action taken by the Government in response to the Flooding Crisis, but the problem is that we need to cease being reactive and instead put in place a long-term strategy that will help prevent events such as this.
To give a single example, during the Recent Flooding Crisis in thenorth of England, both BBC and commercial local radio played a vital part in ensuring that communities were kept aware of what was happening and were given advice as to what to do about it.