Flood risk assessment out-of-date

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) is calling on the government to develop a 25-year plan to deal with the increasing problem of flooding.

Summer woes

This summer, several people died and more than 40,000 homes were damaged in Yorkshire, Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire.

Many people were left without electricity and drinking water. The final cost of the flooding came to more than £3bn. The floods, combined with other events, made 2007 the worst ever year for weather-related insurance claims.

ABI's recommendations

Justin Jacobs of the ABI said, "One part of government needs to be given overall responsibility for identifying and coordinating all the measures necessary to reduce our flood risk."

He added, "The independent reviews we've seen in both Hull and Gloucester highlight that different agencies haven't worked together effectively, and as a result, flood risk hasn't been tackled properly."

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