Telegraph: The Met Office has confirmed that last year was the second wettest on record for the UK, just a few millimetres short of the record in 2000.
The national forecasters also said that extreme rainfall has become more common in the last few decades, possibly as a consequence of climate change.
Floods caused damage to thousands of properties, as well as destroying crops and causing transport chaos.
Mr Paterson said a number of people have complained to him that failure to clear out rivers and...