:00:00. > :00:07.tackle this on a unanimous basis across Europe. Urgent question, Mr
:00:08. > :00:10.Alex Cunningham. To ask the Minister to make a statement about assistance
:00:11. > :00:20.from the EU Solidarity fund for flood hit communities. Thank you, Mr
:00:21. > :00:24.Speaker. Mr Speaker, I first want to pay tribute to all those who have
:00:25. > :00:29.supported many places that were flooded in December and early
:00:30. > :00:32.January. The local authorities, emergency services, Environment
:00:33. > :00:36.Agency staff, community volunteers and military and many others made a
:00:37. > :00:39.significant contribution to supporting those communities
:00:40. > :00:42.affected by the terrible events we saw over Christmas, over December
:00:43. > :00:46.and through early January. The whole house will want to recognise those
:00:47. > :00:49.that made the enormous effort that went into supporting households and
:00:50. > :00:53.businesses, not just the initial response to the floods but also the
:00:54. > :00:58.ongoing work to get residents back in the home and businesses open. The
:00:59. > :01:02.responsibility for recovery, including the European Union
:01:03. > :01:06.Solidarity fund, lies with DC LG. Officials in DC LG have worked hard
:01:07. > :01:09.through that period but continue to work hard to support those
:01:10. > :01:12.communities and those affected by those events. The Government
:01:13. > :01:17.recognises the immediate priority is to respond to the urgent needs of
:01:18. > :01:20.those affected, so we have already provided over ?2 million -- ?200
:01:21. > :01:25.million to those affected by the floods to support recovery and
:01:26. > :01:32.repair. The key aspect is the business recovery scheme, offering
:01:33. > :01:35.readying support to local councils affected to in turn help
:01:36. > :01:40.individuals, small and medium-size businesses and communities to her
:01:41. > :01:44.return to normality. It provides property level resilience grants of
:01:45. > :01:48.up to ?5,000 so people can protect homes and businesses against future
:01:49. > :01:51.plans by putting in place resilient repairs. To date, under the
:01:52. > :01:58.communities and business recovery scheme, the Government has paid out
:01:59. > :02:03.?21 million. Desmond and ?20 million. Eva and we are also
:02:04. > :02:06.supporting farmers with grants of up to ?20,000 to help restore damaged
:02:07. > :02:10.agricultural land, farm vehicles, boundaries and drainage. Having set
:02:11. > :02:15.out what the Government has already done, I want to turn to what more we
:02:16. > :02:19.can do. I am today announcing the UK Government will make an application
:02:20. > :02:27.to the EU Solidarity fund. The EU US air was set up to respond to major
:02:28. > :02:31.natural disasters, the fund was created as a reaction to severe
:02:32. > :02:36.floods in Central Europe in the summer of 2002. Since then, it has
:02:37. > :02:40.been used for 70 disasters covering a range of catastrophic events
:02:41. > :02:45.including floods, forest fires, earthquakes, storms and drought. The
:02:46. > :02:49.only time the UK has applied for the fund was the flooding of 2007, which
:02:50. > :02:52.saw widespread and significant damage across large swathes of
:02:53. > :02:57.England. Member states have 12 weeks from the start of an incident to
:02:58. > :03:00.register their intended to claim. We have confirmed our intent and once
:03:01. > :03:05.confirmed, there is time to consider, with the commission, the
:03:06. > :03:10.element of assessment. Following this process, the commission
:03:11. > :03:19.assesses the application and if it is accepted, proceeds to donate.
:03:20. > :03:23.Once the decision has been a bag of loot made, it is then paid out in a
:03:24. > :03:27.single instalment. When aid is paid out, the affected state is
:03:28. > :03:29.responsible for the implementation, including the selection of
:03:30. > :03:35.operations and their audit and control. Emergency finance may be
:03:36. > :03:38.used retrospectively from day one of the disaster but EU SF is not an
:03:39. > :03:44.noisy design to be a rapid responses and for dealing with the effects of
:03:45. > :03:47.a natural disaster. Grand can only be applied to the state following an
:03:48. > :03:53.application and budgetary process which can take several months to
:03:54. > :03:57.complete. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the Minister and my fellow
:03:58. > :04:02.Stockton MP for his response, which is extremely welcome today. And it
:04:03. > :04:06.has taken an urgent question to get the information from the Government,
:04:07. > :04:09.so I am delighted that you granted it. I know there has been
:04:10. > :04:13.considerable confusion in Government for which department was responsible
:04:14. > :04:18.for making the application and I've 1am absolutely delighted at the news
:04:19. > :04:21.we have today. I was also pleased the Enviroment Secretary told the
:04:22. > :04:31.House last month she was considering an application,
:04:32. > :04:36.only to have one of her civil servants and so my letter telling me
:04:37. > :04:39.it was a DC LG responsibility. We now know the answer, it is a DC LG
:04:40. > :04:41.responsibility and I am glad they have taken it on. We know it is a
:04:42. > :04:47.Government response was once ability to apply to the Solidarity fund,
:04:48. > :04:50.getting communities the much needed funding to get their lives back on
:04:51. > :04:53.track. The whole house knows of the devastation across the country over
:04:54. > :04:59.the Christmas period and into the first months of this year. Recovery
:05:00. > :05:03.costs in Cumbria alone are estimated at 650 million. Other estimates
:05:04. > :05:07.suggest the clean-up bill will exceed ?5 billion. It is therefore
:05:08. > :05:09.imperative the Government does everything possible to maximise
:05:10. > :05:14.resources from all possible areas to support them. I was pleased to hear
:05:15. > :05:17.the Enviroment Secretary confirm in a statement to the House on the 5th
:05:18. > :05:21.of January that the Government will continue to do what it takes to get
:05:22. > :05:27.these areas up and running and prepare for future events. But for
:05:28. > :05:31.nearly three months, there gesturing at a willingness to support
:05:32. > :05:34.assistance, the Government have been shy at submitting an application.
:05:35. > :05:37.Members and constituents have been left in the dark as it appeared the
:05:38. > :05:41.Government would fail to make an application for help from the EU
:05:42. > :05:45.Solidarity fund, which was established to respond to precisely
:05:46. > :05:49.such natural disasters as those experienced in Cumbria, Lancashire,
:05:50. > :05:53.North Yorkshire and Scotland. The fund has been used by states across
:05:54. > :05:57.the EU in response to 70 disasters ranging from flooding and forest
:05:58. > :06:01.fires to have quake sandstorms. Just last year, Italy, Bulgaria and
:06:02. > :06:06.Romania received more than 40 million in similar circumstances.
:06:07. > :06:09.You will know that we on this site have been extremely anxious that
:06:10. > :06:13.this opportunity could in fact be lost. To be clear, the first loves
:06:14. > :06:19.for which an application could be first made for in Cumbria was 11 and
:06:20. > :06:23.a half weeks ago -- first floods. It has taken the Government to one
:06:24. > :06:26.single day before the deadline to confirm an application. We know
:06:27. > :06:30.there are those that strongly believe we get little from the EU. I
:06:31. > :06:35.am clear the UK should be embracing the offer of additional support,
:06:36. > :06:38.particularly having paid ?300 million into the fund since it was
:06:39. > :06:42.set up. Will the Minister outlined what discussions he has had across
:06:43. > :06:45.Government and with local authorities in those areas affected
:06:46. > :06:51.in the preparation of the application? Why have members and
:06:52. > :06:54.communities been left in the dark for so long when it would have been
:06:55. > :06:57.a boost to them to know that more help would soon be on the way? What
:06:58. > :06:59.is the final estimate of the cost of the devastation suffered by our
:07:00. > :07:03.communities and how much is Government bidding for? Is there
:07:04. > :07:06.just one application or will there be multiple applications reflecting
:07:07. > :07:09.the fact that a number of communities were affected and each
:07:10. > :07:14.could qualify due to the level of devastation they have suffered?
:07:15. > :07:17.Finally, I am aware that my Stockton neighbour and I will be on opposite
:07:18. > :07:21.sides in another debate, that of whether or not we remain in the
:07:22. > :07:25.European Union. Does the Minister not agree that it is fund is like
:07:26. > :07:29.the Solidarity fund that can and I hope will ring great benefits to our
:07:30. > :07:34.community is not just hit by natural disasters, but also to those like
:07:35. > :07:42.his constituency and mine, where there are large numbers of people
:07:43. > :07:47.suffering considerable deprivation. There does seem to be a fundamental
:07:48. > :07:51.misunderstanding. The Government has been working on this application for
:07:52. > :07:54.some time. You have to draw together a range of information across
:07:55. > :07:59.Government departments talking with local areas, assessing the cost and
:08:00. > :08:03.impact of events that have taken place. That is what we have been
:08:04. > :08:05.doing and will continue to do. As more information comes through, as
:08:06. > :08:10.we go through the process of supporting communities, we will
:08:11. > :08:13.ensure the application is thorough, that it accounts for all
:08:14. > :08:17.opportunities to add to it and recognise the damage done and those
:08:18. > :08:21.discussions have been taking place across Government in the right way,
:08:22. > :08:24.in the right time frame, so we were able to make the announcement we
:08:25. > :08:27.have. I congratulate the officials in my department who have been
:08:28. > :08:30.working hard on that and across Government departments who have been
:08:31. > :08:33.working hard, to bring the information together so we can
:08:34. > :08:40.announce the application has been made. It will continue to evolve as
:08:41. > :08:43.more information comes through but as I said earlier, the European
:08:44. > :08:46.Union Solidarity Fund is not designed to be a rapid response to
:08:47. > :08:50.events of this kind. It is a longer term fund to provide compensation to
:08:51. > :08:53.communities and even though an application is now being made, it
:08:54. > :08:57.will take months for that money to be paid. We, though, will continue
:08:58. > :09:00.in our commitment to support those communities, it is EU SF to provide
:09:01. > :09:06.the funding and backing they need, as we have done so far to make sure
:09:07. > :09:11.the communities affected by the terrible weather events we have seen
:09:12. > :09:17.get the support they need to recover as quickly as possible. I would
:09:18. > :09:22.gently say to the Minister and there has, in 2011, we suffered disastrous
:09:23. > :09:28.floods in Somerset. We looked at this fund very closely indeed. The
:09:29. > :09:31.Prime Minister and my local area. We made the decision it was not going
:09:32. > :09:35.to be applied for at that time because it was too complicated, too
:09:36. > :09:39.difficult and the benefit to the communities wasn't going to be
:09:40. > :09:44.there. It doesn't matter, they can chant as much as they want on the
:09:45. > :09:47.opposition benches. We have now made the area that was flooded in
:09:48. > :09:51.Somerset save through UK funding. The proof of the pudding is this
:09:52. > :09:55.year, we haven't even had to switch on the main pumps. It has worked.
:09:56. > :10:01.You don't need this funding to do what you have to do to secure your
:10:02. > :10:05.communities. My honourable friend has demonstrated an understanding of
:10:06. > :10:09.the EU SF which is absent on the front bench opposite. It is a
:10:10. > :10:12.complex fund. It does require a number of packs to be taken into
:10:13. > :10:15.consideration, there is an administration process which will
:10:16. > :10:18.take a long time and cost a significant amount. That is why we
:10:19. > :10:22.had to do a proper assessment to understand whether it would be of
:10:23. > :10:24.net benefit to the UK taxpayer to make an application before we could
:10:25. > :10:29.make an announcement I can confirm today. That is the right process and
:10:30. > :10:32.my honourable friend has demonstrated his deep understanding
:10:33. > :10:37.from his own constituency experience and the complexity of the matters.
:10:38. > :10:45.Can a welcome the statement, he talks about a rapid response. Where
:10:46. > :10:50.was the rapid decision-making process from the government? I
:10:51. > :10:53.honestly welcome it today, but it was not a difficult question. If you
:10:54. > :11:00.have an insurance policy, of course we will cash it in, why would we
:11:01. > :11:05.not? It is logical and sensible. Can I ask a couple of questions. In
:11:06. > :11:11.relation to Scotland, has the Minister and his department on a
:11:12. > :11:18.calculation on how much money will come to Scotland due to the Barnett
:11:19. > :11:22.consequential is? And is this a timescale? The rapid response I was
:11:23. > :11:26.talking about was the money the government made available, the hard
:11:27. > :11:33.work done, particularly by my colleagues and officials in DEFRA,
:11:34. > :11:37.the work that was stunned straightaway to support communities
:11:38. > :11:40.affected by flooding. One of the factors that has delayed the
:11:41. > :11:46.process, which has made it more fickle to process this complicated
:11:47. > :11:48.application that underpins the Solidarity fund, has been the
:11:49. > :11:52.information we needed from the Scottish Government. If it had
:11:53. > :12:04.responded quicker, we may have been able to respond earlier. Hallelujah.
:12:05. > :12:08.Hallelujah. Three weeks ago I asked the Prime Minister why we were not
:12:09. > :12:15.applying for these funds. I am delighted we are now doing so. I had
:12:16. > :12:18.over 300 of my households hit by the floods, a third of them are not
:12:19. > :12:27.covered by insurance because of the high premiums and excess. In one
:12:28. > :12:32.case, a business has been closed since Boxing Day, they have lost
:12:33. > :12:36.tens of thousands of pounds, and still have ongoing costs. Hopefully
:12:37. > :12:39.be able be open by Easter. Can he make sure that government ministers
:12:40. > :12:46.will look again at the number of businesses that have been hit during
:12:47. > :12:52.those floods, to see how much extra assistance, our money, we can get
:12:53. > :12:56.them to help them back into business? There are thresholds that
:12:57. > :13:00.have to be met, there is assessment of damage that has to be done. There
:13:01. > :13:08.is no guarantee that application to this fund would apply and deliver
:13:09. > :13:13.it. Nevertheless we have come to this decision. I am delighted it
:13:14. > :13:16.pleases him. I would be happy to have discussions about individual
:13:17. > :13:22.businesses, but I would remind him, regardless of what happens, the
:13:23. > :13:26.government has made significant funding, which is available now. We
:13:27. > :13:36.do not have to wait for this to come through. Speed is of the essence. I
:13:37. > :13:41.constituency was not damaged in the most recent flood, but in the past
:13:42. > :13:45.speed is of the essence. I have known people in my constituency
:13:46. > :13:50.waiting not just months, but years to get that in their home to get a
:13:51. > :14:03.decent standard of life. It is all very well for the Minister to be
:14:04. > :14:08.uncharitable, and the fact is, people do not just want boots on the
:14:09. > :14:15.day, they want action after the flooding. He is right, speed is of
:14:16. > :14:18.the essence. The government has made ?200 million to areas affected, and
:14:19. > :14:24.it was made available as quickly as possible. The support is there. This
:14:25. > :14:29.fund will take time to pay out. That is the way that the process works.
:14:30. > :14:35.It will take months from the date of application to come to conclusion.
:14:36. > :14:41.We have decided to apply it because it is of net benefit to the UK to do
:14:42. > :14:46.so. It is available straightaway. My honourable friend says this is an
:14:47. > :14:53.important application that has been made, but can he put it in context?
:14:54. > :14:56.Every day as British taxpayers, we pave ?50 million to the European
:14:57. > :15:03.Union. How much does he think we are going to get back, to be or four
:15:04. > :15:13.days contributions? My honourable friend makes this point better than
:15:14. > :15:20.I would choose to do. The Minister has indicated the notification of
:15:21. > :15:22.intent to apply at all stages. Surely this could have been done
:15:23. > :15:28.weeks ago to get the process underway? When did he apply, today,
:15:29. > :15:34.yesterday? How much does he think he will actually recover? What do they
:15:35. > :15:40.expect to recover from the European Union for this, and is he aware that
:15:41. > :15:44.the closure of one of the roads in Cumbria is causing massive impact on
:15:45. > :15:49.the local economy. ?1 million a day. A massive impact on families and
:15:50. > :15:54.businesses. The sense of urgency is lacking. Will he just get on with
:15:55. > :15:58.it? I have to make clear that there is no guarantee that this fund will
:15:59. > :16:02.bring net benefit to the UK, or that it would be possible to apply until
:16:03. > :16:10.a proper assessment has been done of the levels of damage, whether we
:16:11. > :16:13.qualify. Bat assessment has been done, we have announced over
:16:14. > :16:16.intention to apply before the deadline, we will work through the
:16:17. > :16:22.process to ensure the UK gets the maximum benefit that can be
:16:23. > :16:24.delivered. Separate to that, the government is already doing what
:16:25. > :16:28.needs to be done to support these communities. My honourable friend,
:16:29. > :16:35.the Minister that DEFRA, has been doing work in Cumbria. As he knows,
:16:36. > :16:38.to make sure they get the support they need, regardless of the
:16:39. > :16:46.progress made with this fund. It will take time, but we are committed
:16:47. > :16:51.to applying it. The UK paid 36.5 million into the EU stability fund
:16:52. > :16:59.last year. The second-largest contributor, and we have only
:17:00. > :17:04.cleaned once, and is our reluctance to claim as we do not get very much
:17:05. > :17:09.out of it? We are paying into an insurance scheme that we cannot
:17:10. > :17:15.claim on. He is right, there is an interplay between fans and what is
:17:16. > :17:18.being paid out. It is a complex process and there are restrictions
:17:19. > :17:23.on how much money released can be spent. We have made the assessment
:17:24. > :17:26.and believe the fund will be of net benefit to the UK, so we are
:17:27. > :17:32.announcing our intention to make that application. The announcement
:17:33. > :17:35.is welcome but long overdue. What specific discussions has the
:17:36. > :17:42.government had with local authorities in Scotland to ensure
:17:43. > :17:46.the appropriate amount is sort for flooded communities? He raises an
:17:47. > :17:54.important question. Much of this is a devolved matter through government
:17:55. > :17:57.Scotland, but we have in discussing with them the information that
:17:58. > :18:04.underpins the part of the application which applies to
:18:05. > :18:09.Scotland. This is excellent news, and while I accept there are
:18:10. > :18:15.complexities involved, what is unpalatable and a horrendous burden
:18:16. > :18:17.for people in Calder Valley is the infrastructure damage and a
:18:18. > :18:24.shortfall of ?15 million for future flood defences. Can hear sure the
:18:25. > :18:28.people of the Calder Valley that this fund has been applied for soap
:18:29. > :18:31.costs for repairs to infrastructure and shortfalls in flood defences
:18:32. > :18:37.will be met by the fund or the government? He has been in one of
:18:38. > :18:40.the most dashing he has been one of the most diligent and passionate
:18:41. > :18:46.advocate since the storms in December and January. Hardly a day
:18:47. > :18:50.goes by when we do not discuss matters pertaining to Calder Valley.
:18:51. > :18:53.The government is committed to supporting these communities. We are
:18:54. > :18:56.continuing to work with local authorities to make sure it is done,
:18:57. > :19:01.and his representations have been helpful in the process of recovery
:19:02. > :19:08.and I'm sure in going forward as well. I outlined at my Westminster
:19:09. > :19:12.Hall debate last month the cost of the damage in my constituency and
:19:13. > :19:17.the neighbouring Calder Valley. I have been clear about how much we
:19:18. > :19:22.are hoping to secure. Through the assessments, can you give us an
:19:23. > :19:30.indication of exactly what funding the value will be available? I would
:19:31. > :19:37.put on record the appreciation for the constructive nature we had in
:19:38. > :19:42.Westminster Hall, it brought out the best of this place when we bring out
:19:43. > :19:46.the best we can. She will appreciate that we are at this stage of having
:19:47. > :19:50.identified the reality that applying would be of net benefit to the UK.
:19:51. > :19:54.We still have a lot of work to do to finalise costs and figures to the
:19:55. > :20:00.commission, so I am not in a position to confirm what the net
:20:01. > :20:09.benefit will be at the end of this process, but we will keep the House
:20:10. > :20:13.updated. To not give false hope to the community is everyone is talking
:20:14. > :20:19.about, he must see that there is no guarantee of us ever receiving this
:20:20. > :20:22.process, when you get to the European process when we apply for
:20:23. > :20:27.money to come back, it becomes even more complicated than the timeline
:20:28. > :20:32.is extremely long. Could he give a rough idea as to how long the
:20:33. > :20:37.timeline went on for in 2007, and also assure the communities that
:20:38. > :20:47.there is money the government is spending that is helping them. This
:20:48. > :20:50.is not a rapid response fund. This takes a long time to come through,
:20:51. > :21:00.and the government made money available straightaway. Over ?200
:21:01. > :21:07.million to the communities. I think what he says is very valid and
:21:08. > :21:13.something that members opposite should listen to carefully and take
:21:14. > :21:18.into account. We all welcome the announcement today, and we all felt
:21:19. > :21:25.the misery of people affected on the TV screens. In my area, it is
:21:26. > :21:29.vulnerable to flooding, so my constituents will be pleased to hear
:21:30. > :21:32.this news, but they will be baffled as to why it has taken so long.
:21:33. > :21:36.Given what a miserable experience it is to go through, it would have been
:21:37. > :21:42.helpful to communicate the government's contention earlier, and
:21:43. > :21:47.can you give assurance that if this happens again, funding will be
:21:48. > :21:49.available in the future. I cannot give the assurance that the
:21:50. > :21:56.government will always apply for the fund, because we may not always meet
:21:57. > :22:01.the criteria to apply. But we will ensure the cost of delivering it
:22:02. > :22:06.does not outweigh the benefit coming from it, including the impact on the
:22:07. > :22:14.rebate. We will ensure communities get the support they need, more than
:22:15. > :22:21.?200 million for the communities that need it. I welcome his
:22:22. > :22:23.decision. Can he give an assurance that this application is successful
:22:24. > :22:30.it will not be used to offset funding allocated from other
:22:31. > :22:36.resources, and will improve defences along the Humber estuary and
:22:37. > :22:43.elsewhere? We do not know how long this will take to be paid, but we
:22:44. > :22:46.will ensure that communities get the support they need. The government
:22:47. > :22:52.has made that available, and we continue to work with local
:22:53. > :22:59.authorities to deliver it. We will keep honourable members updated as
:23:00. > :23:04.we progress. Businesses in my constituency are absolutely baffled
:23:05. > :23:09.as to why the government has left it until the 11th hour to get this
:23:10. > :23:14.funding. Can he assure me that he will get the application in by
:23:15. > :23:25.Sunday, and doesn't he agree with me that this is a great argument for us
:23:26. > :23:30.remaining in the European Union? I am disappointed that local
:23:31. > :23:36.businesses are baffled, but I'm sure she will explain to them the reality
:23:37. > :23:39.of the process. This is not a rapid reaction fund. You have to make sure
:23:40. > :23:43.you assess damage and meet thresholds. It is still a lot of
:23:44. > :23:47.work to be done to ensure we fully understand and apply for every bit
:23:48. > :23:50.of applicable damage that has taken place. We have announced that we
:23:51. > :23:54.will undertake that process, and in the meantime we have already made
:23:55. > :24:04.funding available. It will take months for this fund to be out.
:24:05. > :24:09.Further to the point made by my honourable friend, could the
:24:10. > :24:13.Minister please advise the House what support the government can give
:24:14. > :24:17.small businesses and homeowners to improve Brazilians for future
:24:18. > :24:25.flooding to prevent this from happening again? -- improve
:24:26. > :24:33.resilience. It is an opportunity to remind that the government is making
:24:34. > :24:36.available ?500,000 to properties for the resilience grant, and we are
:24:37. > :24:42.encouraging householders to apply for this. Properties can invest in
:24:43. > :24:57.joint flood defence schemes. The antics of the British
:24:58. > :25:02.nationalists would be quite funny. The Minister stated in his statement
:25:03. > :25:07.that the Scottish Government took so long to respond. But the reality is
:25:08. > :25:11.that the Cabinet Secretary for infrastructure wrote to the
:25:12. > :25:15.Department and as well as the Deputy First Minister, raise the issue on
:25:16. > :25:16.the floor of the Scottish parliament itself, is this has long winded
:25:17. > :25:25.answer? I'm not sure what the question was
:25:26. > :25:29.Mr Speaker, but the reality is the UK responded immediately to the
:25:30. > :25:33.weather events we saw over December and January. We made funding
:25:34. > :25:36.available, we gave local authorities freedom and control over how it was
:25:37. > :25:40.to be spent and delivered, that is the right thing to do. There is
:25:41. > :25:43.still work to be done on a recovery and we are doing that and will
:25:44. > :25:48.continue to do it until all of the communities feel they can get back
:25:49. > :25:52.to normal and back open for business and we can move on from what has
:25:53. > :25:56.been a very difficult period for so many. Hundreds of my constituents in
:25:57. > :26:00.Nottinghamshire have benefited from the repair and renew grants, or
:26:01. > :26:04.resilience grants, operated by the minister's department and seems to
:26:05. > :26:08.be operating well and getting money to people quickly. A number of my
:26:09. > :26:19.constituents did something very altruistic and chose to pool B
:26:20. > :26:22.grants, not just for small community projects but for defence schemes. We
:26:23. > :26:26.managed to find a workaround so it was achieved. Can the Minister
:26:27. > :26:28.assure me and other members that elsewhere in the country,
:26:29. > :26:34.communitywide altruistic schemes like that can be the use of the
:26:35. > :26:37.?5,000 repair and renew grants question mark absolutely. A ?5,000
:26:38. > :26:41.property level resilience grants for each property can be pooled so long
:26:42. > :26:46.as the property is concerned benefit from the pooling. We have designed
:26:47. > :26:49.the scheme is to be as flexible as possible to respond to different
:26:50. > :26:53.circumstances in different places but moreover, to respond quickly,
:26:54. > :27:00.unlike the fund we are discussing today which will take several months
:27:01. > :27:07.from this date until it is paid out. Splendid, Anna Johnson. Mr Speaker,
:27:08. > :27:11.can I tell the Minister that my constituents were badly flooded in
:27:12. > :27:16.2007 and they would have been gassed if the Labour Government had not
:27:17. > :27:19.immediately said they would apply for the Solidarity Fund. Can the
:27:20. > :27:23.Minister just say exactly when the decision was made to actually make
:27:24. > :27:27.the application? He is not offering much rias euros when he says there
:27:28. > :27:33.is still work to do if the deadline is on Sunday this week. The
:27:34. > :27:38.intention is in accordance with the process that exists, is to indicate
:27:39. > :27:40.our intention to apply. I would be staggered had any Government
:27:41. > :27:44.immediately announced an intention to apply for the fund because you
:27:45. > :27:52.can't, you have to assess the impact on regional GDP, you have to be
:27:53. > :27:58.assessed and see if you qualify. You can announce you are applying but
:27:59. > :28:02.may not be able to qualify. The sensible thing to do is to assess
:28:03. > :28:07.and make a decision in time to apply if it is appropriate, which is what
:28:08. > :28:12.this Government has done. I welcome what the Minister has said today and
:28:13. > :28:15.I thank him for the Government's decisive action to address flood
:28:16. > :28:20.risks, including the Environment Agency's commitment to spend over
:28:21. > :28:30.?500,000 this year to address the flood risk in my village. Will he
:28:31. > :28:35.encourage me in joining the many tourists that come to the
:28:36. > :28:38.communities and encourage them to visit this Easter? It is absolutely
:28:39. > :28:42.the case that many areas affected by the flooding some of the most
:28:43. > :28:45.beautiful parts of the country, some of the most beautiful parts of the
:28:46. > :28:48.North of England. There are businesses that are very much open
:28:49. > :28:53.for business and we are encouraging people to continue to visit and
:28:54. > :28:56.indeed to consider making a visit to these wonderful places, to support
:28:57. > :29:00.their economies and continue to support those communities, many of
:29:01. > :29:04.which are open almost as though nothing had happened, working
:29:05. > :29:07.through what has been trying period but has shown the very best of the
:29:08. > :29:13.community spirit exists across the North. Given that large parts of
:29:14. > :29:18.Greater Manchester were flooded, can I welcome the Government's
:29:19. > :29:23.signalling of its intent to apply for these funds and the Minister
:29:24. > :29:28.implied in his response that the Government have been working on the
:29:29. > :29:31.detail of this bid for some time. So perhaps he can clarify to the House
:29:32. > :29:37.the detail of what the Government intends to use the funds for. Will
:29:38. > :29:41.it be to assist local authorities with the ongoing reconstruction work
:29:42. > :29:49.after the floods or will it be to future proof our flood defences
:29:50. > :29:53.going forwards? The Government has priority is to support those
:29:54. > :29:56.communities today. We have ensured that funding is available
:29:57. > :29:59.immediately to do that. We are still working through the process of this
:30:00. > :30:03.fund application and will continue to do that for as long as it looks
:30:04. > :30:07.like it will produce a net benefit to the UK. We will pursue it and
:30:08. > :30:11.ensure it is delivered because we can see the benefits to communities.
:30:12. > :30:15.What matters to communities like those he represents is the quick
:30:16. > :30:25.response, the funding made available and the support given to local to
:30:26. > :30:26.deliver immediately for their immediate needs and recovery
:30:27. > :30:29.following thereafter. We have continued to make funds available to
:30:30. > :30:33.do it, we have made that commitment and we will stick to it. Business
:30:34. > :30:39.question, Mr Chris Bryant. Will the Leader of the House give us the
:30:40. > :30:43.future business? Mr Speaker, next week, Monday the 29th of February,
:30:44. > :30:46.we will start with a motion to approve a statutory instrument
:30:47. > :30:51.relating to the European Union referendum and there will then be an
:30:52. > :30:55.opposition half day debate on the UK's steel industry. Tuesday the 1st
:30:56. > :30:59.of March will be the first allotted day of estimates. There will be a
:31:00. > :31:03.debate on the foreign Commonwealth Office and the 2015 Spending Review,
:31:04. > :31:09.followed by a debate on the reform of the police spending for Miller.
:31:10. > :31:15.On the 2nd of March, the second allotted this village today for
:31:16. > :31:19.estimates, followed by a debate upon end of life car. The House will then
:31:20. > :31:26.be asked to agree all outstanding estimates, followed by proceedings
:31:27. > :31:27.on the appropriation and adjustments bill. Further details will be in