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Flood defences - are we being told porky pies?

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OneFootInTheGrave

OneFootInTheGrave Report 16 Feb 2014 15:02

Are we being told porky pies about spending on flood defences, I ask that because, according to a note contained in a report on flood defence spending in the House of Commons library, it appears the Prime Minister and his ministers - have been somewhat creative with their announcements about the governments increased spending on flood defences prior to the recent spate of floods, the note reads:-

"Note 2 - National flood defence spending

There was a significant increase in flood defence spending from 1997 to 2010 spending increased by three-quarters in real terms.

Central Government spending on flood defence in 2010-11 was cut soon after the Coalition Government was formed. Spending was reduced in that year by £30 million or 5%.

In the 2010 Comprehensive Spending Review (2011-12 to 2014-15), a total of £2.17 billion in central government funding was provided for flood and coastal defence. This represented a six per cent fall in central government funding.

The Committee on Climate Change calculated that this represented a real term cut of around 20% compared to the previous spending period."

In view of the revelations in the above note, I think that once the floods subside and those affected by them start getting their life back to some sort of normality, there are some very serious questions that need frank and honest answers, not least, who told the truth and who manipulated it for their own political ambitions.

Researching:
I am researching the Wotherspoon family from the Old/New Monkland areas of Scotland, some moved to the Leslie and Kelty areas of Fife and I'm having problems linking the Wotherspoon's from Leslie and the Wotherspoon's from Kelty. I am also researching the Clusker family from Co. Meath in Ireland who moved to West Lothian and from there to Fife............"Vita non est vivere sed valere vita est"

maggiewinchester

maggiewinchester Report 16 Feb 2014 18:41

From a friend who works for the EA, cuts in staff weren't 'imminent' - they'd already lost 20 people in her department alone!!
Likewise central government funding had already been cut as you've indicated, as had funding from government to local councils.

Researching:
Henry Floyd (g x 4 grandad) Allegedly the heaviest man in England in 1842

eRRolSheep

eRRolSheep Report 16 Feb 2014 18:53

Numbers are meaningless unless in genuine context and correctly backed up with hard fact. A good example would be a statement such as "lost 20 people in her department". Now, if there are only 21 people in the department then that is devastating. If, however, there are 2,000 people in the department then it has a somewhat less devastating impact on all concerned.
See the point? Numbers!

Also, has the current bout of unusually inclement weather really had the impact certain quarters would have us believe?

Researching:
Happy