The Environment Agency is taking further steps to defend its response to flooding in the Somerset Levels – including an appearance by Agency Chairman Lord Chris Smith on the BBC’s Radio 4 Today programme this morning.

Lord Smith told the Today programme that the Environment Agency is facing financial constraints but is "trying to protect the frontline services". Commenting on its response to the flooding, the subject of much criticism from farmers, householders, businesses  and MPs in the Somerset Levels, he said dredging was not the comprehensive answer and it would only make "a small difference".

Around 635 square kilometres of Somerset is below sea level. In Somerset, de-silting work was last carried out on pinch points on the Parrett and Tone rivers in November.

In a separate statement, the Environment Agency said it was “doing everything it can to pump water off the Somerset Levels as quickly as river and tide levels allow.” However, existing flood defences had protected over 200 square kilometres of land and 3,500 properties, including in the towns of Langport, Martock, Ilchester and Ham.

 The prolonged and persistent rainfall – more than twice the average rainfall for this time of year - has led to ongoing flooding on the Levels,with up to 40 properties and 65 square kilometres of land flooded. The statement says that increased dredging of rivers on the Somerset Levels would not have prevented the recent widespread flooding because of the sheer volume of rainfall. On tidal stretches of rivers, silt immediately begins to return to the river following dredging. Where dredging increases river flows, it can also make flooding worse downstream.

The Environment Agency reiterated earlier statements that its teams have been working around the clock since Christmas and extra manpower and pumping equipment has been brought in from around the country, with sixty-five pumps now operating 24/7.

The Agency added that while dredging would provide some benefit to managing future flood risk on the Somerset Levels and Moors, it is “not always the best long-term or economic solution” compared with other flood risk measures such as building walls or providing storage upstream.

The Environment Agency will now be working with Government, the local council, Internal Drainage Boards and other partners on a long-term action-plan for tackling flood risk on the Somerset Moors and Levels.

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