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Pitt Report

The Secretary of State will be aware that on 30 October the small town of Ottery St. Mary and many surrounding villages in my constituency were flooded at 2 in the morning, with 4 in of rain coming down in an hour and 3 ft of hail, which was still sitting there two days later. My own home and those of my neighbours were flooded for the second time in 11 years; we all hope to be back in by Easter. It is the most appalling experience to go through. May I ask the Secretary of State about flooding in rural areas? Experience has shown that it is often minor watercourses, not necessarily the main river that flows through towns, that behave in ways that no one expected and often cause the damage, turning lanes and roads into rivers. As well as looking into the run-off from buildings, has the right hon. Gentleman had a chance to study run-off from land and consider farming practices, for example? The relevant boxes that need to be ticked are often left unticked in rural areas because only small clusters of properties are affected, so has he thought of anything further that can be done to mitigate flooding problems in rural areas?