Review into Northern Ireland flooding needed to learn lessons, minister says

Northern Ireland’s authorities must learn lessons from the floods which have impacted homes and businesses in recent weeks, a UK Government minister has said.

Steve Baker said a review into the public services’ response to the flooding was needed, adding that Northern Ireland’s civil service was equipped to launch this without a functioning executive in Stormont.

Shadow Northern Ireland secretary Hilary Benn meanwhile called on the Government to ensure that businesses in flood-hit communities get more cash from the Treasury if they need it.

Several towns in Northern Ireland including Newry, Downpatrick and Portadown were badly impacted by flooding as a result of heavy rain in recent weeks.

Businesses and homes were in some places under water which was chest height, in what was the wettest October in 150 years.

More than 22,000 sandbags were deployed by the Department for Infrastructure as people tried to mitigate the damage to their properties.

The UK Government will provide up to £15 million of support to help with clean-up costs and to support the recovery of businesses.

Raising the floods in the Commons, Mr Benn said: “Last week in Downpatrick, Newry and Portadown I saw the terrible effects of the flooding on businesses and households, many of whom can’t get flood insurance and therefore face huge losses.

“Once the initial £7,500 has been paid out to all the businesses from the money the Secretary of State announced during his visit, can the minister assure us that the Treasury will approve proposals for the use of the rest of the money quickly so that businesses affected can receive help and get back up and running again?

“If more is needed, will he provide it?”

Northern Ireland minister Mr Baker replied: “The rest of the money is within the powers of the Northern Ireland civil service to spend because it is reallocated funding.

“Alas the Treasury is not under my control, but all I can say is I look forward to the day.”

Mr Benn responded: “There is going to have to be a review of what happened during the floods to learn lessons for the future. Things like the need for a warning system – which there isn’t in Northern Ireland currently – better flood defences and flood protection, which will all need funding in the years ahead.

“But in the continuing absence of the executive, which is really needed at a time like this, does the minister agree that there should be a review?

“Does the Northern Ireland civil service have the power to establish such a review? And if not will the Secretary of State do it?”

Mr Baker said: “I would agree with him that a review is needed. I believe that it is possible for the Northern Ireland civil service to get on with that work under the powers we have given it.”

Elsewhere in the debate, Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris suggested progress was being made in restoring powersharing at Stormont.

“I do believe we are moving closer to a decision point, but there are still continued discussions to be had and they are continuing at pace, but at length,” Mr Heaton-Harris said.

But ministers also faced questions about the lack of Northern Ireland-based projects offered funding in the latest round of the flagship levelling up fund.

Shadow Northern Ireland minister Fleur Anderson said: “Communities across Northern Ireland are angry about the Government’s decision to exclude them from the latest round of levelling up funding.

“The Government has said this is because Stormont isn’t sitting, but this is a poor excuse, because round two funding was allocated to 10 projects in Northern Ireland in January this year when the executive wasn’t in place as well.”

Mr Baker said Northern Ireland projects would receive funding, but added the UK Government was “very keen indeed to work with Northern Ireland ministers to this effect”.

Responding to this, the SNP’s Northern Ireland spokesman Richard Thomson joked the UK Government was “quite content seemingly to bypass” the sitting devolved governments in Cardiff and Edinburgh.