:00:00. > 3:59:59BBC News Channel, but now on BBC One, it's time for the news where
:00:00. > :00:10.you are. Good evening. Homeowners and
:00:11. > :00:13.businesses hit by December's floods are missing out on millions of
:00:14. > :00:16.pounds of European compensation money, because it's claimed the UK
:00:17. > :00:19.Government doesn't want it. The tidal surge affected more than ,000
:00:20. > :00:23.properties in East Yorkshird and Lincolnshire. Euro MPs say loney is
:00:24. > :00:25.available to repair the dam`ge, but the Government says it won't be
:00:26. > :00:27.asking Brussels for financi`l help. Our Political Editor Tim Irddale
:00:28. > :00:40.reports. Could our flood`hit towns and
:00:41. > :00:45.villages be missing out on lillions of pounds worth of European money to
:00:46. > :00:49.help them get back on their feet? In barrow on the South Bank of the
:00:50. > :00:54.Humber they are still counthng the cost of December's tidal surge, the
:00:55. > :00:59.local pub has been closed for almost three moneys while repair work is
:01:00. > :01:05.carried out. They expect it to about 500,000, between 4 hundred`400, 00
:01:06. > :01:10.worth. It will cost us, there will be things we have forgotten about,
:01:11. > :01:15.so there will be an outlay for u but there we go. One of those things.
:01:16. > :01:19.Back in 2007, there were sililar calls for flood`hit parts of our
:01:20. > :01:24.area to receive financial hdlp from the EU. I went to the Europdan
:01:25. > :01:29.Parliament, on the hunt for our missing millions. Seven years on, I
:01:30. > :01:36.have returned to Brussels. Where some MEPs are asking once again what
:01:37. > :01:40.happened to our flood money? We have asked the Liberal Democrats, MEPs
:01:41. > :01:44.approached the Government, 7th January saying can you ask for money
:01:45. > :01:50.for the United Kingdom for flooded areas and so far they haven't done,
:01:51. > :01:55.so which is a Piti. Last ye`r the EU Solidarity Fund paid out more than
:01:56. > :01:59.?3 hundred million to pars of Europe affect by veer flooding. Including
:02:00. > :02:04.Germany, trust and the Czech Republic.
:02:05. > :02:07.I asked a leading Conservathve MEP why our Government wasn't t`pping
:02:08. > :02:10.into that fund? The Governmdnt has made a lot of enquiries abott
:02:11. > :02:16.regarding that Solidarity Ftnd. It is there to help victims of major
:02:17. > :02:19.disaster, Why aren't we getting It Because we have to look at the
:02:20. > :02:24.balance of whether it's a good thing to ask for it or not. Or whdther we
:02:25. > :02:28.should be supplying... Surely it's a good thing By taking that money it
:02:29. > :02:33.may mean that is coming out of moneys that are going to be paid to
:02:34. > :02:37.us out of other funds, therd are a lot of complications about that
:02:38. > :02:41.Those complications will probably be little consolation for commtnities
:02:42. > :02:47.who have paid a heavy price for this wint tiers veer weather.
:02:48. > :02:52.Ge winter's veer weather Til is live in Barton`upon`Humber this dvening.
:02:53. > :02:59.. . Do you think the Governlent will change its mind? It is unlikely
:03:00. > :03:02.that is despite being questhoned being asked in the House of Commons
:03:03. > :03:07.from Diana Johnson among others for who wanted to know why flood`hit
:03:08. > :03:13.communities here were not entitled to this EU money. The reason behind
:03:14. > :03:17.it dates back 30 year, to the famous rebate negotiated by Margardt
:03:18. > :03:22.Thatcher, the money we can claw back every year from the EU f thd
:03:23. > :03:26.Government taps into this Solidarity Fund it means less money back to the
:03:27. > :03:30.Treasury and it says the Government says they are better off with local
:03:31. > :03:35.councils deciding which flood`hit communities get financial hdlp,
:03:36. > :03:38.without going cap in hand to Brussels.
:03:39. > :03:42.People living in East Lindsdy will pay more council tax from April The
:03:43. > :03:46.authority says it's putting its part of the council tax bill up by 1 99%.
:03:47. > :03:48.It says it's doing so to protect services and deliver a balanced
:03:49. > :03:51.budget. The European Parliament has approved
:03:52. > :03:54.increasing the size of health warnings on cigarette packaging
:03:55. > :03:57.Health professionals in Hull say stricter laws will help to reduce
:03:58. > :04:01.the number of young people taking up the habit. There will also be a ban
:04:02. > :04:06.on packets of ten, and menthol cigarettes will be phased ott. The
:04:07. > :04:08.regulations will come into force in two years' time.
:04:09. > :04:11.Police are investigating thd death of a 25`year`old man, after what
:04:12. > :04:16.officers describe as a drink`related incident in Scunthorpe. The man who
:04:17. > :04:19.has been named locally as Ddrick Hare, was taken to hospital in the
:04:20. > :04:22.early hours of Sunday after attending a house party. He died
:04:23. > :04:31.this morning. Those who knew him have paid tribute to him. Hd was a
:04:32. > :04:35.lovely boy, quiet boy, wouldn't hurt a fly, he only come in here a couple
:04:36. > :04:41.of times, played a couple of gapesles pool. He was well liked.
:04:42. > :04:43.But a really nice lovely box. Just such a shame.
:04:44. > :04:46.Flower growers in Lincolnshhre say the industry is the latest victim of
:04:47. > :04:49.the unpredictable weather. The county's daffodil crop has
:04:50. > :04:51.flowered at least two weeks early, following unseasonably high
:04:52. > :05:01.temperatures. Our Business Correspondent Paul Murphy rdports.
:05:02. > :05:06.Nearly half of the UK's daffodil crop is grown in this fertile corner
:05:07. > :05:10.of southern Lincolnshire. This is spring dawn. But at the momdnt, it
:05:11. > :05:14.is growing too quickly. The industry is nervous. There is just too many
:05:15. > :05:19.flowers on the market, you know there is a market for all of those
:05:20. > :05:23.flowers, providing they are spread out over about ten weeks but if they
:05:24. > :05:29.all come in five`week, therd is too many. Daffodils require a precise
:05:30. > :05:34.consequence of cold and then mild weather, to make them commercially
:05:35. > :05:39.viable. It is fair to say that in crept years this industry h`s
:05:40. > :05:44.struggled to achieve that. The changing climate means growers
:05:45. > :05:48.must try to stay one step ahead of the weather.
:05:49. > :05:52.Where Where we used to look for varieties that were early, we are
:05:53. > :05:56.now tending to look more for those that are late, so that we c`n extend
:05:57. > :06:01.the season, towards the end of April, beginning of May.
:06:02. > :06:07.And retailers need to keep ` careful eye on how the season is gohng.
:06:08. > :06:10.Daffodils start off in the Scilly island, then Cornwall, and then
:06:11. > :06:16.currently we are souring thdm from Lincolnshire, and eventuallx toward
:06:17. > :06:18.the end of the season, they come from Scotland, so there will be
:06:19. > :06:23.availability for a long perhod but it is where they come to us from.
:06:24. > :06:27.Growers are fearful the market could be flooded with daffodils in the
:06:28. > :06:34.coming week, not great for profits. But perhaps good news for those
:06:35. > :06:39.buying for Mother's Day. Let us take a look at the wdather
:06:40. > :06:43.now. Some rain on the way tonight, tomorrow that rain soon cle`rs and
:06:44. > :06:46.it is bright, with sunshine. The rain courtesy of this weathdr front
:06:47. > :06:50.into the North Sea midday on Thursday, but this feature could
:06:51. > :06:54.bring more rain through the course of Friday. Five fine at the moment,
:06:55. > :06:58.but cloud, wind and rain will spret in from the west during the early
:06:59. > :07:03.hour, turning wet indeed, temperatures down to four or five
:07:04. > :07:08.degrees Celsius. So Thursdax off to a wet start, that rain will pretty
:07:09. > :07:11.quickly clear into the North Sea by mid`morning. All parts will be
:07:12. > :07:16.bright with sunshine. One or two showers following from the west We
:07:17. > :07:19.have top temperatures round eight or nine degrees sells UK, some
:07:20. > :07:22.uncertainty about Friday, it looks cloudy with some outbreaks of rain.
:07:23. > :07:27.That is the forecast. That hs all from the late team tonight. We are
:07:28. > :07:31.back tomorrow at 6.25 with our breakfast bulletins. Enjoy the rest
:07:32. > :07:33.of your evening. Buy for now. `` bye for now.
:07:34. > :07:39.breeze blowing as well. Tricky into the weekend. And now we have the
:07:40. > :07:44.national forecast. Good evening. We know it has been a
:07:45. > :07:51.wet winter but it has also been mild and across England and Wales,
:07:52. > :07:56.lacking in snow. The last day of the season which we measure on Friday,
:07:57. > :08:00.might provide a bit of it. Friday's weather is coming from the small
:08:01. > :08:05.area of low pressure. These tiny low-pressure systems are difficult
:08:06. > :08:10.to track and a subtle change in position could have a big impact.
:08:11. > :08:13.Tonight we have more straightforward, a weather front
:08:14. > :08:17.spreading out rakes of rain across most areas. Turning windy as well.
:08:18. > :08:21.The rain will be heavy but will move through quickly because of the
:08:22. > :08:25.strength of the wind and it will be a mild night for most. The rain is
:08:26. > :08:28.lingering across Scotland and eastern England for the morning It
:08:29. > :08:29.will continue to be