The government has signalled that it will come up with enough money for the insurance industry to continue to offer affordable flood cover.
Chancellor George Osborne said in his launch of the Spending Round for 2015/16 that the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs would 'set out plans for a major commitment to new flood defences for the rest of this decade'.
This would be despite a 10% cut in the department's resources.
The Spending Round report stated: 'Public investment in existing flood protection and new schemes will support the insurance industry to maintain available and affordable flood cover for households.
'Resource spending will remain at current levels in cash terms. The Government is also committed to providing the necessary capital investment to strengthen flood defences.'
An Association of British Insurers spokesman said: 'It is encouraging that the government has maintained resource spending in cash terms on flood defences, despite a budget cut of 10% at Defra.
'It will now be crucial to see what level of capital spending has been allocated for flood protection.
'We have been in detailed negotiations with the government to find a way to make flood insurance available and affordable over the long term, and the right level of spending is very much part of that.'
