Report Issued Warns 17,500 houses threatened by Flooding in East Anglia

8.28.00pm GMT Tue 7th Nov 2006

Norman Lamb, Liberal Democrat MP for North Norfolk, is calling on the Government to give a higher priority to coastal defences following a report published today showing that 17,500 homes in the region will be threatened by flooding by 2040. The report was issued by the Association of British Insurers (ABI). It concludes that without improvements to defences, the cost of a serious coastal flood could cost up to £16 billion.

"This report has come at a crucial stage," said Mr Lamb. "The Government has been cutting funding for coastal and flood defences this year, just at a time when the threat is increasing because of rising sea levels."

"The Government has got to start taking this issue deadly seriously."

Link: Association of British Insurers report and press release at http://www.abi.org.uk/DISPLAY/default.asp?Menu_ID=773&Menu_All=1,773,0&Child_ID=651