Government defends flood defences funding after cuts warning revealed

Drainage authorities told ministers in November that cuts could leave 240,000 more households at risk of flood damage

The government has defended its funding of flood defences after it emerged ministers were told spending cuts could leave 240,000 extra households facing a "significant risk" of flood damage within 20 years.

A document presented to ministers in November last year - just days before Cumbria was inundated - warned of the risks posed by extreme weather events becoming more frequent.