Defra minister Dan Rogerson has been forced to defend the government's response to flooding in the South-West, as frustration over the legacy of recent floods grows once more.

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It has been revealed that only five percent of dredging work the government committed to at the beginning of the year has been completed on the Somerset Levels, which were inundated from December to late February. At the height of flooding, 65km2 of the Levels were underwater.  

Although conservation groups and the Environment Agency were sceptical of the impact dredging would have on the Levels, the government responded to pressure from the local community, led by Tory MP Ian Liddell-Grainger, and consented to dredging, which began in late March.

Earlier this month, Defra officials also admitted that only around £530,000 had been paid out from a £10 million recovery fund, intended to help farmers whose businesses had been affected by flooding. Farmers have complained that accessing aid payments is too hard, though Defra employees said that – so long as information provided by claimants is correct – funding applications can be fulfilled in less than two weeks.

Speaking at the Royal Bath and West Show on Wednesday, junior minister Rogerson said dredging work was progressing, though the multi-million pound scheme is reportedly running behind schedule. He told reporters, "The important thing is that dredging happens, and it will be happening this year in advance of what may come in future bad weather periods."

Rogerson admitted that "The floods… have certainly been challenging, for people and communities, central and local government, and all of the agencies and companies involved in dealing with the winter floods."

Flooding across large areas of Southern England was the result of unprecedented wet weather, including the wettest January since 1766 for England and Wales. Central and south-east England received over 250 percent of the average rainfall during this period. Tidal surges also knocked out flood defences along the South coast.

Although he faced criticism over the progress of work on the Rivers Parrett and Tone (8km is due to be dredged as a priority identified by local groups behind the Moors and Levels Action Plan), the Flood Minister praised "The local response… effort" as "magnificent." He said, "I appreciate how hard everyone worked and just how hard it is for those people whose homes and businesses have been affected."