The chairman of the Environment Agency has said he wished he had returned earlier from a Christmas holiday in Barbados to help deal with flooding in northern England.
Sir Philip Dilley has faced criticism for holidaying in the Caribbean over Christmas while more flooding hit parts of England, and for a statement put out by the Environment Agency suggesting he was at home with his family.
Environment Agency chief executive Sir James Bevan has hit back at suggestions there were no members of senior management at the scene of the floods - saying he was there himself on Boxing Day.
Speaking to MPs, he defended a decision by chairman Sir Philip Dilley to go abroad to Barbados over the Christmas holidays.
He said he was the one responsible for the operational response to the floods, and said he had been there since the beginning.
The water's gone and the politicians have started arguing, writes Martin Geissler - but what next for those left devastated by the floods?
Environment Agency boss Sir Philip Dilley is to be quizzed by MPs about the recent flooding.