The government is failing to do enough to protect communities at risk of flooding, according to a new report from a committee of MPs. The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) report criticised the 'reactive' approach to flood incidents and said there was not enough long-term planning aimed at future flood prevention. It urged the government to maintain steady annual spending on flood defences, rather than allowing spending to fluctuate, and said it should pay for the upkeep of existing flood defences in addition to investing in new ones. The report follows the storms that hit the UK between December 2015 and January 2016, causing flooding in the north of England and Wales, as well as parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland. Storms Desmond, Eva and Frank caused estimated damage of £1.3bn and flooded 16,000 households.
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