£120m EU FLOOD AID MUST COME TO REGIONS, NOT CENTRAL GOVERNMENT

12.01.32am GMT Wed 12th Mar 2008

Liberal Democrat MEP Liz Lynne has welcomed today's vote in the European Parliament approving financial help worth some £120 million for UK regions hit by last summer's devastating floods.

But she has also urged Gordon Brown not to use the EU Solidarity Fund money just to reimburse the government's own spending since the floods.

Liz Lynne, LibDem MEP for the West Midlands region which suffered serious damage in the floods last summer, has campaigned hard for EU aid, pushing the government to apply for the Solidarity Fund and repeatedly bringing up the subject in the European Parliament and with the European Commission.

Speaking after the vote she said:

"I am delighted my colleagues voted to approve this substantial sum to help with the recovery from last year's catastrophic flooding. But on the ground this will only be good news if the UK government now confirms it will not use the award simply to refund Gordon Brown's coffers. The Solidarity Fund should of course go to help agencies and councils in the worst affected areas.

"I would also expect to see some of this money passed on to private infrastructure operators such as the Severn Valley Railway, which is still completing emergency rebuilding work costing millions of pounds.

"I hope that this decision will help give a more positive view in the UK that the EU is there to help and provide assistance when needed."