European Parliament to debate EU monies for flood hit areas of Yorkshire

11.42.45am UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 10th Mar 2008

On Monday 10th March the European Parliament will debate on the use of the EU Solidarity Fund for an amount of €162.4 million (about 105 million pounds sterling) against payments relating to the floods in Yorkshire and elsewhere in the UK in June and July 2007. The subsequent vote on this matter will take place on Tuesday 11th March.

The grant will go towards reimbursing part of the cost of emergency measure such as rescue services, cleaning up after flood damage and restoring basic infrastructure.

Local Liberal Democrat Euro MP, Diana Wallis, expressed her satisfaction that this issue was coming to the Parliament and said in advance of the debate:

"I have no doubt that this will be voted through overwhelmingly as is the recommendation of the Committee this report is coming from.

"I am very pleased that the EU Solidarity Fund is being used in this way. From the immediate aftermath of the floods I was anxious that the UK government put in a bid for this funding and I was in touch with Gordon Brown personally.

"This is good news for all those communities affecting by the flooding last year. The key now is that the money is put to quick and effective use across our region."