ENVIRONMENT AGENCY BUDGET

That this House commends the excellent work undertaken by staff employed at the Environment Agency in dealing with recent flooding incidents; recognises however that Environment Agency staff do a lot more than dealing with just the prevention and aftermath of flood incidents; further recognises that this wide range of responsibilities are essential in safeguarding the country's environment from harm and includes water quality oversight, pollution control, waste regulation, fisheries management, conservation and ecology, navigation, contaminated land and flood and coastal risk management; notes that the Environment Agency has had its budgets cut yet again which will lead to 1,500 jobs being lost, around 15 per cent of the total workforce; further notes that, with some spending ring-fenced by the Government, the effect of these further cuts will impact disproportionately on non-protected areas like the prevention and prosecution of waste crime, monitoring and protection of migratory fish, pollution management and work with planning authorities to ensure environmental safeguards are in place for new development; believes that as a result, communities will be put at risk of environmental harm through the significant reductions in services currently provided and is a licence to pollute; and further believes that the Government should implement an immediate moratorium on any cuts and recognise that the cost of responding to incidents of harm is much greater than the effective prevention the Environment Agency provides and the cuts will compromise.