Several hundred thousand people were without clean water

Martin Horwood MP told the Environment Secretary Hilary Benn in the House of Commons that many were still waiting for compensation.

"Will insurers be able to expedite payments to small businesses affected by the flooding?" he asked.

Mr Benn said the insurance industry had responded well to the floods and that a lot of money had already been paid out.

The Lib Dem MP added: "Many [businesses] are still waiting for compensation months later, with an obvious impact on their cash flow, their bank charges and the interest that they pay on their overdrafts."

He also asked questions about building on flood plains during a debate on Thursday.

"Is it wise to keep building planned houses on areas that flooded... like Leckhampton in my constituency?"

Adequate defence

Mr Benn said the government had strengthened planning guidelines and given the Environment Agency a statutory right to be consulted.

"In the light of the strengthened guidance, it is a continuing responsibility on local authorities to ask themselves whether, if they intend to build on a flood plain, they can adequately defend against a risk that is increasing because the climate is changing," he said.

The cost of the clean-up in Gloucestershire has been put at up to �55m, with the school repair bill is expected to be �2.7m alone.

The government has pledged several million pounds and a public appeal has so far raised almost �1.25m.

More than 4,000 homes were affected by the torrential downpours and some residents are not expecting to be able to return until Christmas.

Gloucestershire County Council has just completed its inquiry into the flooding.