Government to apply for EU flood aid
Thursday, 2 August 2007 12:00 AM
The government will apply for EU aid to meet the costs of cleaning up after the summer floods.
Flood recovery minister John Healey confirmed today the government will apply to the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) to meet the massive costs of the clear-up.
The government had been criticised for not seeking aid sooner, with vast swathes of England devastated by flood damage after torrential rain in June and July.
Mr Healey said: "As part of the cross-government work to support flood-hit communities get back on their feet I can confirm we are working on an application for funding from the EU Solidarity Fund.
As a member of the EU we intend to exercise our right for support from the Solidarity Fund which was set up specifically to help countries that have experienced extensive damage from natural disasters such as the recent floods."
An application will be lodged with the European Commission, but Mr Healey said the UK must still meet the criteria set down by the commission.
If successful, money will filter through into affected communities in nine to 12 months time.
The EUSF is designed to help member states meet the uninsurable costs of natural disasters, including emergency services, the clean-up and restoration of infrastructure.
To qualify for support, the damage must exceed £2.2 billion and Mr Healey stressed the government was still counting the cost of the flooding.
Mr Healey continued: "Clearly those areas that are currently flooded need time to deal with more immediate practical concerns before reviewing the scale and cost of overall damage. The top priority has been safeguarding life and property and some areas are only now starting to move into the recovery phase.
"We are committed to doing everything we can to help life return to normal as quickly as possible in local communities and believe this application can play a part in this. A successful EU application would be a useful addition to the package of support we're already putting in place."
The government has already pledged at least £46 million for flood-hit areas, as well as support through the Bellwin scheme.
The Conservatives welcomed the application but asked why the government did not apply sooner.
Shadow environment secretary Peter Ainsworth said: "People have been suffering the aftermaths of this summer's floods for well over a month now and we asked for the government to apply to the fund at the beginning of July. If the government had taken note the money might now be filtering through to people who need it most."
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