BRITAIN is set to receive about £100m in disaster aid from the European Union to help pay for the clear-up following the summer's flooding.
But it was unclear last night whether the grant will mean substantial new amounts of money going to local councils and emergency services in Yorkshire and elsewhere – or whether it will just go towards reimbursing the Treasury for the money already p
ledged by Gordon Brown.
Floods Recovery Minister John Healey, the Wentworth MP, emerged from discussions in Brussels last night with the EU commissioner responsible for the so-called EU Solidarity Fund with a pledge that she would be backing Britain's application for financial support from the fund.
Danuta Hubner, European Commissioner for regional policy, said she would seek approval from her fellow commissioners and confirmation from the European Parliament that Britain will receive a payment of E160m.
Mr Healey, who submitted an application for aid in August following pressure from Yorkshire MEPs and MPs, told the Yorkshire Post last night that the money will help cover some of the £57m assistance already pledged by the Government and clear-up payments to town halls under the emergency "Bellwin" scheme, applications for which councils are still putting together.
Last night Yorkshire Lib Dem MEP Diana Wallis said: "This is really good news for Yorkshire. While there are some still procedural hoops to go through the money could be available as early as next year ."
Yorkshire Conservative MEP Timothy Kirkhope added: "I will be working hard to ensure that the people of my constituency, parts of which were hit very hard by the floods, receive their fair share of the funds."
A European Commission spokesman confirmed last night that the grant would be discussed in January with a payment being made in "early 2008".
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