Written question asked by Michael John Foster (Labour) on Wednesday, 19 April 2000, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 3 May 2000. It was answered by Baroness Hughes of Stretford (Labour) on Wednesday, 3 May 2000 on behalf of the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions.

Dept of the Environment Transport and the Regions

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, how much money was refunded to (a) Worcester City Council and (b) Worcestershire County Council under the Bellwin scheme of flood relief, for each financial year since May 1997. - Inc table.

Answer: Mr. Michael J. Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much money was refunded to (a) Worcester City Council and (b) Worcestershire County Council under the Bellwin scheme of flood relief, for each financial year since May 1997. [120596] Ms Beverley Hughes: A "Bellwin" scheme of emergency financial assistance may be activated to help a local authority with uninsurable clear-up costs following a disaster or emergency that involves destruction of, or danger to, life or property. Grant is normally paid at a rate of 85 per cent. of an authority's qualifying expenditure above a threshold. The threshold is the provision that a prudent authority might reasonably be expected to make for contingencies and emergencies (approximately 0.2 per cent. of its revenue budget). In the financial years 1997-98, 1998-99 and 1999-2000, Worcestershire County Council did not incur qualifying expenditure above its threshold. Grant was paid to Worcestershire City Council as follows: _________________________________________________________________________________________________. £ 1997-98 0 1998-99 7,164 1999-2000 6,874 _________________________________________________________________________________________________.

Secondary information