Floods in Hull

Financial assistance after the summer floods was inconsistent and left some councils carrying most of the cost, a report has found.

The Audit Commission recommended that the government reviews how major disasters are planned for and dealt with after it emerged that some councils would have to pay £317 per household towards the clear up.

Commission chief executive Steve Bundred described it as a "tale of two floods" with some of the 18 worst hit areas able to bounce back quickly while others would be facing the effects "for some time to come".

"Nationally, catastrophes such as terrorist incidents, foot and mouth, or freak weather are all possibilities, but precisely where or when they will hit is impossible to forecast," he said.

"If every local authority insured for every eventuality, the cost to taxpayers would be unsustainable," he added.

"Our report clearly shows that the current government scheme to provide emergency assistance isn't enough to deal with catastrophic events and should be reviewed."

He also warned that, if there was another serious flood tomorrow, some authorities would not have enough reserve money to cope.

The bill for the floods in June and July, which killed 14 people, is expected to be £250m and the government has set aside at least £80m in grants and assistance.

While the Commission described the amount as "generous", it warned that it had been "poorly targeted and unlikely to provide good value for taxpayers' money".

Almost three-quarters of the flood costs were incurred by four local authorities, leaving some councils much worse off than others.

Because of variations in insurance cover and inconsistencies in central government funding, the burden on authorities ranges from three to 73 per cent of the total cost, or £1 per household in Cherwell to £317 per household in Hull

Bundred said: "Central and local government now need to get together to discuss risk sharing of major disasters in the future."