Shrewsbury MP asks PM for more flood funding
A Shropshire MP has asked the Prime Minister if he can secure more funding to "tame" rivers and prevent future flooding.
Daniel Kawczynski raised the issue during Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday.
The MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham is currently supporting a bid by the River Severn Partnership to secure £500 million from Defra (Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs) to help fund a "holistic" approach to prevent flooding along Britain's longest river.
Mr Kawczynski told Rishi Sunak that he had invited Thérèse Coffey, the Secretary of State for Defra, to the Shropshire town this month to discuss the work being done. He then pressed PM for more money for the department.
He said: "The Secretary of State for Defra will be visiting Shrewsbury at the end of this month, at my invitation, and she will hear the tremendous progress to date from the River Severn Partnership and the Environment Agency that are working to find a holistic solution for managing Britain's longest river, the River Severn.
"We are now experience flooding in Shrewsbury on an annual basis with tremendous economic damage as a result. Will he take an interest please and secure additional funding for Defra so we can finally tame these rivers and protect our communities from annual flooding?"
Mr Sunak thanked the Conservative MP for raising the issue, and added: "The Government has doubled the investment in flood fences over this parliament to £5.2billion
"I know the Defra secretary will visit and talk to him and his communities and I look forward to hearing from her after that."
