ChatterBank3 mins ago
Is This Why It Is Not A Good Idea To Use Foreign Aid Money To Help With Our Flood Problems?
26 Answers
Well apparently Mr Pickles does, because he says "aid abroad helps towards the battle against global warming".
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/// The Mail revealed on Saturday that Tory MPs are demanding cash from Britain’s £11billion-a-year aid budget is diverted to help people stricken by the floods. ///
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/// The Mail revealed on Saturday that Tory MPs are demanding cash from Britain’s £11billion-a-year aid budget is diverted to help people stricken by the floods. ///
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Foreign Aid and our floods are totally unconnected. He is incorrect to try and pass off that aid is fighting global warming - it isn't.
But Farage and backbench are also wrong to say keep the money and fight the floods at home. Aid money is pledged in advance and cannot be turned off like a tap.
Pickles is desperately trying to blame everyone but the Government. The Environment Agency is coming in for most stick, but its funding has been slashed every year sinces Pickles took over as Communities Minister. It is easy for Osborne to make a huge cut in funding for flood defences in June 2013, but now the poor people of Somerset are paying for that shortsighted withdrawal of funds.
When he isn't blaming the EA, he is blaming Civil Servants, and the previous Government. There were plenty of floods when Labour were in power, but the response was much better. The people of York, Sheffield and Tewksbury were not left for weeks like people in the current floods have been.
Meanwhile, Cameron is visiting them today, as if they haven't suffered enough. You can bet he will be kept away from the soggy public. They might be rubbish at preventing Environmental disasters, but expert at preventing PR disasters.
But Farage and backbench are also wrong to say keep the money and fight the floods at home. Aid money is pledged in advance and cannot be turned off like a tap.
Pickles is desperately trying to blame everyone but the Government. The Environment Agency is coming in for most stick, but its funding has been slashed every year sinces Pickles took over as Communities Minister. It is easy for Osborne to make a huge cut in funding for flood defences in June 2013, but now the poor people of Somerset are paying for that shortsighted withdrawal of funds.
When he isn't blaming the EA, he is blaming Civil Servants, and the previous Government. There were plenty of floods when Labour were in power, but the response was much better. The people of York, Sheffield and Tewksbury were not left for weeks like people in the current floods have been.
Meanwhile, Cameron is visiting them today, as if they haven't suffered enough. You can bet he will be kept away from the soggy public. They might be rubbish at preventing Environmental disasters, but expert at preventing PR disasters.
He was careful with his words, wasn't he? "If it truly is global warming.....[aid] may well have an effect... " is hardly a statement of definite cause and effect.
He doesn't explain what we could do with that aid money which is not directed at schemes to reduce global warming. But he is right if he means to say that aid is a matter of realpolitik; this country thinks that aid is in the national interest of the UK, though, put in simple, populist, terms, it is a waste.
He doesn't explain what we could do with that aid money which is not directed at schemes to reduce global warming. But he is right if he means to say that aid is a matter of realpolitik; this country thinks that aid is in the national interest of the UK, though, put in simple, populist, terms, it is a waste.
2008
// The UK is to receive about £120m from the EU to help repair damage caused by heavy floods in England last summer, the European Parliament has confirmed.
The money is coming from the EU Solidarity Fund, to cover costs like rescue services and temporary housing.
About 48,000 homes and 7,000 businesses were flooded in south-west England, the Midlands, Yorkshire and Humberside. //
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// The UK is to receive about £120m from the EU to help repair damage caused by heavy floods in England last summer, the European Parliament has confirmed.
The money is coming from the EU Solidarity Fund, to cover costs like rescue services and temporary housing.
About 48,000 homes and 7,000 businesses were flooded in south-west England, the Midlands, Yorkshire and Humberside. //
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Its a good political soundbite, but ultimately meaningless. The govt have access to any amount you care to mention of funds, should they want to, which can be allocated in the short term and recovered later by trimming any number of budgets.
The question that needs to be asked is what that government money would be spent on in order to relieve the situation.
Its just a message that resonates with people, so political posturing.
Ultimately, what is required is a better understanding of what causes these floods, treat the cause rather than the symptoms. Simply dredging the waterways will not do this, and anyway could just move the problem further downstream.
The question that needs to be asked is what that government money would be spent on in order to relieve the situation.
Its just a message that resonates with people, so political posturing.
Ultimately, what is required is a better understanding of what causes these floods, treat the cause rather than the symptoms. Simply dredging the waterways will not do this, and anyway could just move the problem further downstream.
Why is it not a good idea to use money from the HS2 budget
Why is it not a good idea to use money from (Insert project you dislike here) ?
Pickles is a complete ass
Heard him this morning on the radio
Asked whether the environment agency should appologise
He said ' I'll apologise now- we shouldn't have listened to them'
Seems he doesn't know the difference between an apology and an accusation.
So Right here and now I'll apologise on Answerbank that the communities secretary is a complete ass!
Why is it not a good idea to use money from (Insert project you dislike here) ?
Pickles is a complete ass
Heard him this morning on the radio
Asked whether the environment agency should appologise
He said ' I'll apologise now- we shouldn't have listened to them'
Seems he doesn't know the difference between an apology and an accusation.
So Right here and now I'll apologise on Answerbank that the communities secretary is a complete ass!
Things are a bit different in Wales where the Coalition do not run things.
// The Welsh Assembly Government invested £36 million in flood and coastal erosion risk management in 2009/10. Supplemented by additional funds from our Strategic Capital Investment Fund and European funding, our total investment across Wales stands at £42 million for 2009/10. This is a significant sum, but we recognise that in the future even more may be required. //
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// The Welsh Assembly Government invested £36 million in flood and coastal erosion risk management in 2009/10. Supplemented by additional funds from our Strategic Capital Investment Fund and European funding, our total investment across Wales stands at £42 million for 2009/10. This is a significant sum, but we recognise that in the future even more may be required. //
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The Welsh seem to be working well with the Environment Agency and EU. In sharp contrast to the Coalition shambles.
January 2014 Wales
// The initial picture appears to be that coastal defences around Wales performed well, protecting thousands of properties. There has been damage to structures but the majority are serviceable and most local authorities report that they do not anticipate a need for Welsh Government flood and coastal erosion grant funding support to restore the damage.
I am continuing to explore a range of funding options both within and outside of the Welsh Government and discussions are ongoing with the UK Government and the European Commission. My officials have met with the European Commission and will continue to discuss both immediate and long term support for those communities which have suffered over the past two months. //
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January 2014 Wales
// The initial picture appears to be that coastal defences around Wales performed well, protecting thousands of properties. There has been damage to structures but the majority are serviceable and most local authorities report that they do not anticipate a need for Welsh Government flood and coastal erosion grant funding support to restore the damage.
I am continuing to explore a range of funding options both within and outside of the Welsh Government and discussions are ongoing with the UK Government and the European Commission. My officials have met with the European Commission and will continue to discuss both immediate and long term support for those communities which have suffered over the past two months. //
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I notice Farage was in the affected atea yesterday. There are 5 parliamentary constituencies in Somerset, and two of them have low majorities. Wells just 800 and Frome with only a 1800 lead. With the Coalition performing abysmally, Farage could pick up quite a few votes from disgruntled Tories and LibDem voters.
Gromit
What can one expect from a quango like the Environment Agency chaired by a senior Labour person.
If anyone knows how to waste money it is certainly Labour.
/// They should have asked where all the £1200 million spent last year went. Why was only £20 m spent on maintaining ditches and culverts? Why so little on dredging? Why have dredging machines been sold off for scrap or allowed to rust without use in some places? Why did the INCREASE in the staff budget, £30m, exceed the total spend on essential maintenance? ///
/// 'They found £31million for a BIRD SANCTUARY but won't pay £5million to dredge the river'. ///
What can one expect from a quango like the Environment Agency chaired by a senior Labour person.
If anyone knows how to waste money it is certainly Labour.
/// They should have asked where all the £1200 million spent last year went. Why was only £20 m spent on maintaining ditches and culverts? Why so little on dredging? Why have dredging machines been sold off for scrap or allowed to rust without use in some places? Why did the INCREASE in the staff budget, £30m, exceed the total spend on essential maintenance? ///
/// 'They found £31million for a BIRD SANCTUARY but won't pay £5million to dredge the river'. ///
"What can one expect from a quango like the Environment Agency chaired by a senior Labour person.
If anyone knows how to waste money it is certainly Labour"
EA was formed in 1996 following legislation passed in 1995 by ermm, John Majors Conservative government.
Politicians are pointing the finger at EA and there may well be issues within the EA over competence and priorities, but fact is under this coalition their overall budget has been cut, staffing slashed, and the amount they can spend on- dredging on the Somerset plains, for instance- constrained by strict Treasury spending formula and caps.
Prevention is better than the cure. Much more work and effort needs to be put into land development schemes that prevent such flooding, rather than running around like a headless chicken after the fact and focusing on one issue, dredging.
If anyone knows how to waste money it is certainly Labour"
EA was formed in 1996 following legislation passed in 1995 by ermm, John Majors Conservative government.
Politicians are pointing the finger at EA and there may well be issues within the EA over competence and priorities, but fact is under this coalition their overall budget has been cut, staffing slashed, and the amount they can spend on- dredging on the Somerset plains, for instance- constrained by strict Treasury spending formula and caps.
Prevention is better than the cure. Much more work and effort needs to be put into land development schemes that prevent such flooding, rather than running around like a headless chicken after the fact and focusing on one issue, dredging.
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