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Flooding (Northumberland)

In the light of the recent flooding events in England at the beginning of September, I am most grateful to the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed (Sir Alan Beith) for giving me this opportunity to speak on a really important aspect of my new responsibilities so soon after taking up my new post and so quickly after the incidents to which he referred. I also note the attendance of several other right hon. and hon. Members with similar interests. I should first pay tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for Oldham, East and Saddleworth (Mr. Woolas) for the interest that he took in such issues and the hard work that he put into the task. I know that he took a close interest in the outcome of flooding incidents around the country during his period in office. Between Friday 5 and Sunday 7 September, heavy rain and flooding affected most of England and, as the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed has described, the most serious consequences were felt in the north-east of England, my home region, including Rothbury in his constituency, a place that I know. Morpeth and Ponteland, also in Northumberland, were also hard hit. The severe rainfall that caused the flooding was first identified as a potential threat a number of days before the event, as a substantial low pressure system was identified tracking towards Europe from the Atlantic. By Wednesday 3 September, the Environment Agency and Met Office began detailed modelling accurately to track the low pressure system and to predict potential rainfall amounts. By Thursday the Environment Agency alert status was raised to ““heightened”” and the regional Government offices and local resilience forums were contacted by DEFRA and advised to begin preparations in case of serious flooding. The right hon. Gentleman complained that the flood warning for Rothbury was not issued by the Environment Agency during the events of 6 September, and I acknowledge that the system did not work. I understand that that was due to limitations in its infrastructure network in terms of river level gauging. Clearly, lessons will need to be learned; they always do when an incident of such seriousness and of such a nature occurs. The agency is aware of the issue and is looking to improve the flood warning service for Rothbury.