An MP has invited his parliamentary colleagues to join his call for more spending on flood defences.

Norman Baker, Liberal Democrat MP for Lewes, has tabled a motion in the House of Commons. He is urging the Treasury to stump up extra cash to cover a projected £700 million shortfall in funding into flood defences over the next decade.

The estimate comes from a national assessment of flood defence needs commissioned by the Government last year.

Mr Baker said: "The Government said in 2000 after the terrible floods that they had a wake-up call.

"Yet years on, we still have huge swathes of Lewes unprotected, with not even any guarantee that flood defences will be provided at some point in the future. This is simply not good enough. It is clear the Treasury is not allocating sufficient resources to this area, with the consequence that the country is picking up an everincreasing bill every year for flood damage.

"If the Chancellor can find £6 billion for a war in Iraq, he can surely find £700 million for proper flood defences for people in this country."

So far 12 MPs have signed Mr Baker's early day motion, including Hastings and Rye MP Michael Foster.