Call to 'rush through' flood funds

21:00, Aug 20 2007

The Government has been urged to call on the European Commission to rush through flood relief cash after thousands of families were told they face spending Christmas away from home. As the estimated cost of damage from floods in June and July soared towards £3 billion, Flood Recovery Minister John Healey said an application had been submitted for support from the European Union Solidarity Fund. The fund is aimed at helping countries meet the uninsurable costs of natural disasters, such as supporting costs to the emergency services, cleaning up and restoring infrastructure. Politicians welcomed the application, but some voiced fears that, even if the European Commission approved the funding, it could take 12 months for resources to become available. Full Story