Caroline Spelman defends flood measures

The Government was forced to defend its spending on flood prevention yesterday as the clean-up from a weekend of more flooding continued.

More than 1,000 homes and businesses were flooded after torrential downpours across the north on Friday night, with a month's rain falling in 24 hours in some places.

The Environment Secretary, Caroline Spelman, said prevention was "a vital area of the work of Government" and that ministers were spending £2bn on it.

She told MPs that her "thoughts go out to all those who suffered flooding, especially those in the worst-affected areas".