§ 3.46 p.m.
§ Lord STRABOLGIMy Lords, with the leave of the House, I shall now repeat a Statement being made in another place in answer to a Private Notice Question on the Portland flood disaster. The Statement is as follows:
"I would like to begin by expressing my sympathy for the residents in Portland who suffered such a terrible experience on 13th February. We are still collecting information about the cause of the very severe flooding but it looks as though the wave action which caused the damage was of freak proportions. Subsequent reports from the Meteorological Office suggest that waves of 20–25 ft. had built up in the Channel as a result of a storm swell in mid-Atlantic. By the time that these waves reached Portland they had increased to 40 or 50 ft., but local weather conditions gave no warning that such an onslaught was imminent.
"All our efforts are at present concentrated on dealing with the problems on the spot, and it is too early yet to make a full assessment of the position. However, it is clear that no sea defences could possibly keep out freak waves of 40 to 50 ft., even if the sea defence improvement scheme which the Wessex Water Authority at present has in hand had been completed it would not have protected Portland against these conditions. Nevertheless, I have instructed 1269 my engineers to discuss straightaway with the Water Authority what measures now need to be taken to strengthen the sea defences, and how the warning arrangements can be improved. I have told them to offer all their specialist advice to the Authority and to indicate that we shall be prepared to consider sympathetically such requests for additional funds as they may make.
"The question of compensation is a matter for my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, but briefly the position is that the district council has powers under Section 138 of the Local Government Act 1972 to incur expenditure on assistance to householders and others affected. As on previous occasions the Government will be prepared to grant aid the council at the rate of 75 per cent. on any expenditure in excess of the product of a penny rate".
My Lords, that concludes the Statement.
§ Lord SANDYSMy Lords, the House will be grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Strabolgi, for repeating the Statement. I must begin from this side of the House by joining with the noble Lord in expressing our sympathy, as he so rightly did, to the residents in Portland. Those who watched on their television screens news reports last night and have read reports today in the Press must, in some measure, be aware of the magnitude of the disaster which took place. When one considers that the height of the waves concerned was probably a little higher than this Chamber, one realises that the problem suffered by them has been truly terrible.
We are of course glad to hear that arrangements are being made with the Meteorological Office to see how the early warning system can be improved. But at the same time are the Government going to combine this system with efforts which might be made through the Chamber of Shipping and the coastguards, who perform such a valuable service in this regard, and Trinity House? It seems remarkable that this very severe swell which developed in mid-Atlantic was largely undetected, or so it seems from the Statement, until its appearance in the form of those enormous waves on the night of 13th February.
1270 Turning to the actions which we hope will be taken, we note in the Statement that further administrative action will be taken to improve arrangements. Does that mean the Government will be consulting, through the Home Office, with the county councils, particularly those with coastal areas, about the normal emergency schemes and the question of bringing those up to date where necessary? These particularly concern the actions of both the emergency services and the Armed Services, and we on these Benches wish particularly to couple our appreciation of what the Armed Services have done in this disaster.
In regard to compensation, we note the Government are offering the standard expenditure which has been offered on previous occasions and which does not seem over-generous. We wonder whether the Government may be a little more forthcoming, bearing in mind that two disasters have taken place on a short stretch of coastline within the short passage of two months. We hope the Departments concerned will consider this very favourably and generously.
Earl GREYMy Lords, I, too, wish to thank the noble Lord, Lord Strabolgi, for repeating that Statement and we from these Benches would like to express our sympathy to the unfortunate inhabitants of Portland. Would the Government reconsider the urgent need for a national disaster fund to be set up at the earliest possible date to give immediate assistance not only to those who suffered at Portland but those at Torcross in South Devon?
§ Lord STRABOLGIMy Lords, I will see that the sympathy of the noble Lord, Lord Sandys, and the noble Lord, Earl Grey, is transmitted to those concerned, and I wish to add my own. Lord Sandys asked a number of questions. He asked, first, whether we would combine the Meteorological Office's information with that provided by coastguards and Trinity House. I cannot answer that at present; the disaster happened only yesterday. However, we certainly take the point on board and I will let him and your Lord ships know later on. Earl Grey asked about a national disaster fund. I will also put that point to my right honourable friend the Secretary of State.
1271 To sum up the action which the Government have taken, we have instructed our engineers from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to discuss at once with the water authorities what measures are needed to strengthen the sea defences and how the warning arrangements can be improved, and we will take account of what the noble Lord, Lord Sandys, said. We are therefore offering whatever specialist advice we can and what is required. Her Majesty's Government will also be prepared to grant aid through MAFF for the defences and, through the Department of the Environment, for the relief of households. I know, too, that the Royal Navy, the Army and the voluntary associations are doing what they can to help the unfortunate people who have been afflicted by this terrible natural disaster.
It is of course for the local authority of the area affected to decide the extent to which they exercise their powers, including the making of grants or loans to other persons or bodies, under the Local Government Act 1972. The Government will reimburse the local authority for any excess expenditure, as I explained when I repeated the Statement. Of course one hopes that householders will be covered by insurance on their houses, as I think most householders are, but if any further compensation or relief is required, I am sure that will be considered very seriously by the Government.