Pickles puts the boot into Quangocrat Smith

[Jamesey]

The Environment Agency proposed dredging last year, but it was ruled out by the Government since it didn't offer "value for money". This was the correct decision. If you had a million pounds to spend on flood defence, why spend it protecting a couple of hundred rural properties when you could protect thousands in a town?

Politicians know very little about the complex matter of flood defence, but are quick to jump in and grandstand. As one EA staff member stated, Pickles would be more use as a sandbag!

[Dedworth]

The Environment Agency proposed dredging last year, but it was ruled out by the Government since it didn't offer "value for money". This was the correct decision. If you had a million pounds to spend on flood defence, why spend it protecting a couple of hundred rural properties when you could protect thousands in a town?

Politicians know very little about the complex matter of flood defence, but are quick to jump in and grandstand. As one EA staff member stated, Pickles would be more use as a sandbag!

Where did that come from ? My understanding is that the EA declined to spend £1.7 million dredging but happily blew £2.4 million of our money on PR.

They ceased regular dredging of the Thames years ago and now only do it "for safe passage of rivercraft, also taking into account conservation and available resources" - note no mention whatsoever of flood prevention

Smith is a career trough feeder and should be fired from all his quango and public sector non jobs

[Jamesey]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26078592

The relevant section is buried at the bottom:
"Mr Winkworth said Lord Smith told him the reason the area was not dredged, as was promised a year ago, was because the £400,000 set aside was not enough and they were waiting for other agencies to contribute."

The EA is just one of five or six agencies responsible for flood management on the Somerset Levels. Due to Treasury rules, the maximum they could put forward for dredging was £400K. The other agencies declined to put in anything, so the dredging didn't happen.

But all this talk of dredging is just part of the political blame game. The people with the real answers to this problem are the scientists, engineers and hydrologists. We should get are advice from these people, not politicians!