Farron presses government for flood money

Speaking in parliament today, South Lakeland MP Tim Farron has pushed the government to give flood-hit areas the money they are owed from the EU flood fund, following the news that none of the cash will be passed on.

The government has decided not to pass on a £15 million grant given by the EU following last winter's floods. Instead, the government will use it to pay a £14.5 million fine which is owed because the former Labour government misspent money from the fund following the 2007 floods.

In a parliamentary debate today, Tim challenged the government to pass on the much-needed cash, saying: "Whoever's fault it was that that fine was incurred, for certain it was not the fault of communities such as mine in Cumbria. Will the Leader of the House commit to all that money coming to those communities or at the very least to hold a debate on the matter?"

The Leader of the House, David Lidington MP, has promised to look into the matter further.

Commenting afterwards, Tim said: "It is a disgrace that Cumbria won't get any of this money. This is cash that was specifically given to help flood-hit areas, yet the government has chosen to snatch it away and use it for other purposes. This is a real kick in the teeth for the thousands of people here in South Lakeland and across the North of England, who suffered during the floods and their aftermath.

"This Conservative government has chosen to make our area pay the price for the Labour government's mess-up. The money should go to the communities it was intended for. It should be the Treasury that pays the fine, not flood-hit areas."