East and West Sussex suffered during the floods last winter more than almost any other area of England.

Yet the Government has just cut cash to prepare for emergencies such as flooding to both county councils by more than ten per cent.

These are the biggest reductions in the country under a change in the way in which these grants are allocated.

The civil defence budget for East and West Sussex is small compared with the total amount of spending they undertake.

But both counties have been urged to make sure that they can cope with future flooding disasters in vulnerable places such as Lewes and Chichester.

By reducing their allocations so sharply, the Government is hardly encouraging them to make those plans properly.