Defence budgets slashed flood left the nation at the mercy of wild weather, which brings climate change according to the outgoing Chair of the Environment Agency.
Lord Chris Smith, who said steps down in July after a sometimes stormy six-year reduced resources and the rising risks were an "inconvenient truth" and improve flood protection in view of frequent and extreme events failed was a false economy.
He also said in an interview with the guardian:
• Environmental Secretary, Owen Paterson, does not accept that global warming due to carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels;
• the Government against David Cameron promises the "greenest ever"; has violated
• that sure to regulate current agents to fracking the Government hoped for shale gas boom; could not handle
• large budget cuts which have the Environment Agency (EA) measures against the illegal dumping of waste cut.
And long-lasting winter heavy criticism of Smith and the EA saw flooding, despite the Agency defence budgets by 25% deal with the annual flood with cuts after the coalition took power, which means that hundreds of regulations does not advance went.
Smith Eric Pickles called EA expertise attack "unforgivable" but praised Paterson. "He did a good job to support the EA by the flood certainly emergency, even to the extent, as he sent texts me from his hospital bed [to separated retina]. I take my hat off to him."
But Smith said that provided by Government to repair the damage of many flood protection facilities after the winter flood would suffered additional 270 million pounds available. He said "what we do not can cope with the additional risks that climate change will bring".
A "classic example", he said, was a £250 m plan to protect of the lower Thames from Windsor Teddington. "This is an area of very significant flood risk, as we have seen in the winter. But at the moment the money not on the table."
Smith handle the failure of the Minister again means the existing defences to maintain. "My main message is, maintenance, maintenance, maintenance: this is just as important as the installation of new regulations."
He said: "cuts, is a false economy to flood defence spending of course because, as we the prospect of increased flooding happens more frequently in more extreme forms, we need to be to protect not only the homes of the people, but we need to protect our economy." "We are constantly in this case to the Treasury." He said flood defences of the most cost-effective public infrastructure investment, £8 save damages for every £1 spent. An exception, he noted, was the controversial dredging of the rivers on the Somerset levels, the less value for money made available.
The Environment Secretary, Owen Paterson (Centre), visit Northmoor pumping station in Somerset flood January 2014th photo: Tim Ireland/PA
Paterson, cut, funding for adaptation to climate change in the UK by almost half, Smith said: "he recognizes changing weather patterns, and that is something for the climate. But he does not necessarily accept that it is up to the CO2 that we throw into the air. I wish he had a better look at it."
EA is responsible for the environmental safety of fracking in the year 2013 Smith CEO Lord John Browne launched a dispute over regulation of shale gas by Paterson to the settlement by fracking. Smith said on Thursday: "our company believes that rich existing arrangements in order to ensure that fracking safe pass operations." At the moment we have the resources for the current level of applications that are obviously relatively small."
But he said the Government is "very sharp" fracking and a fracking boom would have to be provided more money to ensure the environmental safety of fracking.
Smith said that EA budget cuts, including thousands of jobs, had been painful. But he said that at the energy efficiency - leading back-office costs by 33% less - made measures to organize better. The greatest impact outside flood defences would be in the fight against the criminal disposal of waste, he said: "illegal waste sites are extremely offensive and evil for the municipalities, but I'm afraid we'll do less of it."
It was "very disappointing" that Cameron had failed Government, provides the 'greenest Government ever', said Smith, a former Minister of labour. "The environment is the most important long-term problem we are", he said, adding that politicians underestimated people's passion for the environment, particularly in their local areas. "There is a basic attention, respect and love for the environment among people. Politicians should be the seizure."
Friends of the Earth said Andrew Pendleton: "Smith has right politicians need to be honest with people because they knew for years that climate change with devastating effect on the United Kingdom, worse flooding and damage to coastal and cultures will have." Environment Secretary, man-made climate change is simply ridiculous. In a first step David Cameron Owen Paterson must be as quickly as possible the boat."
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