Outgoing Prime Minister Tony Blair gave the strongest hint yet that flood defence spending will play a major part in the Government's three-year spending plan to stop the devastation seen across Yorkshire last week happening again.

Mr Blair told the Commons that cash for flood defences will "obviously form a fairly significant serious part of the comprehensive spending settlement" which is expected in the autumn and will set out public spending until 2011.

It comes days after torrential rain wreaked havoc across Yorkshire with Bingley being declared as the wettest place in Britain.

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service took 400 calls in nine hours from desperate homeowners wanting their flooded houses pumped out.

And Mr Blair said he could assure' MPs an announcement would be made about coastal flood defences.

Mr Blair said: "We are committed to spending an additional £600m this financial year on our coastal defences. Since 1997 we have invested some £4billion in coastal defences which is an indication how over time as a result of changing climate, countries are going to have to invest large sums of money protecting ourselves against the changing weather.

"I can assure you this will obviously form a fairly significant serious part of the comprehensive spending settlement"

More than 50 MPs, including Keighley MP Ann Cryer, have signed a motion demanding Government take action and pledge increases amid criticism funding has remained "almost flat" since 2005 at about £570m per year.

In 2000 floods wrought devastation when the Rivers Aire and Worth burst their banks, deluging villages with millions of gallons of water.

The scale of the chaos forced some fast improvisations with firefighters using pleasure boats from Bradford's Lister Park to reach householders, and the council setting up the biggest control room since the Bradford City fire disaster.

Yesterday's pledge was the first commitment given that flood defence spending will increase.

Last year the Government announced almost £15 million would be slashed from the management of flood defences after a £200 million overspend by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

DEFRA has been ordered by the Treasury to make the substantial cuts which will see a £23.7 million reduction for the Environment Agency - which is responsible for flood management.

An Environment Agency spokesman said "tough and unpalatable" decisions had to be made in a "tactical and opportunist" way as the budget cuts were notified mid-year.

No money was cut from the budget for new flood defences to be built but the £14.9 million slash will hit maintaining defences.