I thank the hon. Member for Garston and Halewood (Maria Eagle) for sending her best wishes to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whom I spoke to a short time before the debate. He is making progress but, as Members will readily...

I thank the hon. Member for Garston and Halewood (Maria Eagle) for sending her best wishes to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whom I spoke to a short time before the debate. He is making progress but, as Members will readily...

My hon. Friend makes a very reasonable case. Indeed, we will be announcing a number of schemes that will help with that process. In fairness to the hon. Member for Garston and Halewood, she did pay tribute to the people who have done this work.

I welcome this debate. I think...

My hon. Friend makes a very reasonable case. Indeed, we will be announcing a number of schemes that will help with that process. In fairness to the hon. Member for Garston and Halewood, she did pay tribute to the people who have done this work.

I welcome this debate. I think...

Will the hon. Gentleman bear with me for a few moments? I would like to set out the case, and then of course he will get first dibs.

Will the hon. Gentleman bear with me for a few moments? I would like to set out the case, and then of course he will get first dibs.

I have upgraded my glasses since then. However, I have always regarded the hon. Gentleman as a particularly attractive Member of this House.

Areas across the country have suffered from flooding, power loss, damage to local infrastructure, and coastal erosion. In some of the worst affected areas, communities will continue to...

I have upgraded my glasses since then. However, I have always regarded the hon. Gentleman as a particularly attractive Member of this House.

Areas across the country have suffered from flooding, power loss, damage to local infrastructure, and coastal erosion. In some of the worst affected areas, communities will continue to...

No, the hon. Member for Vale of Clwyd (Chris Ruane) has first dibs, and then I will give way again.

No, the hon. Member for Vale of Clwyd (Chris Ruane) has first dibs, and then I will give way again.

I will come to that point towards the end of my speech. If the hon. Gentleman is not happy with my remarks, I will give way to him again.

I will come to that point towards the end of my speech. If the hon. Gentleman is not happy with my remarks, I will give way to him again.

We have put in some additional money ready for those precise circumstances. One of our concerns was about the riverbanks. Having looked carefully at the situation, and having had people in from the Netherlands to look at it, it seems as though they are in a very good condition. As...

We have put in some additional money ready for those precise circumstances. One of our concerns was about the riverbanks. Having looked carefully at the situation, and having had people in from the Netherlands to look at it, it seems as though they are in a very good condition. As...

The right hon. Gentleman is right. I went to look at the possibilities there and was well and truly lobbied. I have reason to be very grateful to firefighters who came up with a way of keeping the roads open with a very inventive use of high-volume hoses.

The right hon. Gentleman is right. I went to look at the possibilities there and was well and truly lobbied. I have reason to be very grateful to firefighters who came up with a way of keeping the roads open with a very inventive use of high-volume hoses.

I am very grateful to my hon. Friend, who makes some reasonable points and shows what can be done. In fairness, the weather was much worse for a more prolonged period than it was in 2007, and the number of dwellings affected is 7,000 or thereabouts, which is just a...

I am very grateful to my hon. Friend, who makes some reasonable points and shows what can be done. In fairness, the weather was much worse for a more prolonged period than it was in 2007, and the number of dwellings affected is 7,000 or thereabouts, which is just a...

My hon. Friend makes a reasonable point.

My hon. Friend makes a reasonable point.

It would seem mean not to let my hon. Friend in.

It would seem mean not to let my hon. Friend in.

I will raise that issue with the Environment Agency, which I found very responsive to individual schemes. If my hon. Friend would be kind enough to give me more precise details, I will try to get an answer for her.

I will raise that issue with the Environment Agency, which I found very responsive to individual schemes. If my hon. Friend would be kind enough to give me more precise details, I will try to get an answer for her.

I think not. I need to make some progress. I will give way later to the hon. Gentleman, who no doubt wants to say something about firefighters.

In response to the situation, this Government have taken and continue to take decisive action. The risk of river and coastal flooding is now...

I think not. I need to make some progress. I will give way later to the hon. Gentleman, who no doubt wants to say something about firefighters.

In response to the situation, this Government have taken and continue to take decisive action. The risk of river and coastal flooding is now...

My hon. Friend is right. We have an enormous pumping capacity, but we need to be cautious in how it is used on the Parrett and the Tone and, of course, in the King’s Sedgemoor drain. Some of the larger pumps that we have brought across from Holland can take...

My hon. Friend is right. We have an enormous pumping capacity, but we need to be cautious in how it is used on the Parrett and the Tone and, of course, in the King’s Sedgemoor drain. Some of the larger pumps that we have brought across from Holland can take...

I will, but I hope that the House will forgive me if I then make some progress.

I will, but I hope that the House will forgive me if I then make some progress.

Again, if the hon. Lady would be kind enough to give me precise details of that matter, I will certainly engage with it. I do not want to give the impression that dredging is the solution to everything. It might well be inappropriate; in particular, it might make the situation...

Again, if the hon. Lady would be kind enough to give me precise details of that matter, I will certainly engage with it. I do not want to give the impression that dredging is the solution to everything. It might well be inappropriate; in particular, it might make the situation...

I want to make a little progress if that is convenient. I will give way, but I first want to make a little progress, because other hon. Members want to speak.

On financial support, we will continue to do whatever it takes nationwide to support local communities across the country that...

I want to make a little progress if that is convenient. I will give way, but I first want to make a little progress, because other hon. Members want to speak.

On financial support, we will continue to do whatever it takes nationwide to support local communities across the country that...

I did say that I would not give way, but I can never resist my hon. Friend’s charm.

I did say that I would not give way, but I can never resist my hon. Friend’s charm.

As my hon. Friend almost certainly knows, applications for the first phase of severe weather payments came in a couple of weeks ago. It is our intention to get the money out of the door as quickly as possible.

As my hon. Friend almost certainly knows, applications for the first phase of severe weather payments came in a couple of weeks ago. It is our intention to get the money out of the door as quickly as possible.

The hon. Lady only has to look around to see how effective the new schemes have been. We have continued producing schemes. A number of Members have stood up and recognised what has happened. To be frank, I am pretty partisan and I am doing my best to be restrained....

The hon. Lady only has to look around to see how effective the new schemes have been. We have continued producing schemes. A number of Members have stood up and recognised what has happened. To be frank, I am pretty partisan and I am doing my best to be restrained....