Bob Earll – viewpoint – thanks also to Phil Smith
The reason why Dieter Helm needs to be taken seriously is that he has the ear of George Osborne and the Treasury and of course their continued backing for the Natural Capital committee. The timing of this viewpoint is interesting. Is this what Government now intend? Will a new EA Chairman be keen to take this on this kind of re-organisation?
Dieter Help has just published his views on the EA & Flood defence http://www.dieterhelm.co.uk/node/1414
In the The Times it was reported as follows ‘Call for flood agency to be broken up’ The Environment Agency should be broken up and stripped of responsibility for flood defences, a leading government adviser has said. Dieter Helm is urging ministers to cut the “poorly managed” agency’s 10,000 staff by two thirds by creating a separate body with greater freedom to raise money to invest in flood defences. … you get the drift.