The Prime Minister has announced a comprehensive package of new measures to help hard-working homes, businesses and farmers hit by the floods.
David Cameron paid a visit to Dawlish to speak to the workers and view the damaged coastal railway line.
The measures include:
- a £5,000 “repair and renew” grant for all affected homeowners and businesses - this will top up any money received from insurers to ensure flood resilience is built into homes and businesses as they are repaired
- all affected businesses will get 100% business rate relief for 3 months and will also get an extra 3 months to pay the business taxes they owe to HMRC as they get back on their feet
- a £10 million fund for farmers suffering water-logged fields to help restore it to farmable land as quickly as possible.
- a total commitment in excess of £750 million from the major banks to provide financial support to business and individual customers affected by the floods.
The Prime Minister said: "Britain is facing some of the worst flooding in decades following the wettest winter in 2 and a half centuries. Through the COBR mechanism, this government continues to take clear action across the board to ensure that everything that can be done is being done; whether that is extra pumps and sandbags, a commitment to dredging in Somerset, deploying the military to shore up flood defences and provide additional support for local emergency services. We are taking, and will continue to take whatever steps are necessary.
"...I have announced a comprehensive package of new measures to help-hardworking homes, businesses and farmers hit by these floods to get back on their feet with special grants for homeowners and businesses, business rate relief, a £10 million fund for farmers and a £750 million commitment from all the major banks to provide financial support. We are helping people who need help and protecting communities who need protecting, and as I said yesterday money is no object to help this flood relief effort."
In addition to the £130 million of increased flood funding already announced, the Prime Minister pledged new action to keep affected areas moving, including:
- the deployment of military personnel to support the flood effort. The military are working through existing Gold and Silver commands to assist local communities and emergency response teams on the ground - reinforcing sandbags and shoring up flood defences, helping children get to school and the sick to medical assistance, providing relief to emergency services who have been working 24/7 and checking on vulnerable individuals
- £31 million confirmed to deliver 10 key rail projects in the South West to improve resilience to flooding, including works at Cowley Bridge in Exeter
- a further £30 million for local authorities in England affected by the severe weather for road maintenance, including pothole repairs
- Patrick McLoughlin will chair urgent resilience meetings with the bus and coach operators to ensure that all necessary extra services are in place for the areas currently affected, and to plan for any further capacity required should the severe weather continue and affect other parts of the country.
The Prime Minister will continue to lead the national response by chairing meetings of the government’s emergency committee, COBR. To oversee the government’s wider policy response to the recovery, the Prime Minister has set up a new Cabinet Committee and will chair the first meeting today.
