At the time of writing, residents and businesses are bracing themselves for the possibility of flooding.  The hope is that the Jubilee river will do its job of diverting water around the Constituency and that any overflow, or knock-on effect, will not as bad as in 2003. 

The Environment Agency has maintained flood warnings in the Old Windsor, Datchet and the Wraysbury areas and I have been encouraged by how hard Borough staff, emergency services, residents and Councillors in the areas concerned – and in Wraysbury in particular - have been working to reassure and assist those worried by the prospect of floods.

It remains to be seen whether we will be flooded, but the devastation seen in other areas of the country has provided the government and the Environment Agency with a timely reminder that they must match their fine words with action when it comes to flood alleviation schemes.  Whilst the Jubilee River does a fine job of protecting Maidenhead and parts of Windsor, the flood water is merely channelled downstream where it can badly flood homes in the lower Thames area.  In the House of Commons, I asked Hilary Benn MP, the Secretary of State for the Environment, for his assurance that he would re-examine the lower Thames protection scheme and give it serious consideration in light of recent events.  When the technology and engineering expertise is ready to solve the problems caused by flooding, it is surely unacceptable that money is not made available to give residents peace of mind during severe weather.

Mr Benn did not answer my question directly, but I am determined to press the case to ensure that vital flood defences for the lower Thames area are put in place sooner rather than later.

My thanks go to all those who are assisting with flood relief, and I hope that, in this case, the precautions prove unnecessary.