A Town hall chief says a row broke out at a meeting of the Cobra committee between the Treasury and the Communities department
Flood-ravaged Northern communities are not getting the emergency aid they need because the Treasury is blocking it, a town hall chief has claimed.
Richard Farnell, leader of Rochdale council in Greater Manchester - which is facing a bill of millions following Boxing Day’s storms - said there was a ‘battle’ taking place within Whitehall over whether to send immediate flood relief to the region.
He told the Manchester Evening News a row broke out during a meeting of Cobra , the government’s emergency response committee, over whether to issue funding.
He said: “The Department for Communities and Local Government wanted to offer immediate help and the Treasury pushed back.
“It’s the Treasury blocking immediate help getting out to councils and those affected by the floods. If needs be, we will have to dig deep and fund it ourselves because we are not prepared to leave residents and businesses stranded because of the floods.”
Rochdale council has already started paying £500 to each household washed out by Storm Eva. That money has been supplied to affected town halls by central government.
It has also cancelled council tax for those who have had to move out and business rates for firms that have been forced to stop trading, again a move funded by Whitehall.
But the wider cost of the clean-up and to the local economy has not yet been calculated. Cllr Farnell said it would run into the millions.
“We have put a number of requests in to the government,” he said.
“Unfortunately the DCLG says ‘yes we want to help’ but then the Treasury are saying ‘hold on’. I think there’s a battle within the government.
“But we need them to sit down with us so we can explain it’s make or break for these businesses. My fear is a number will close otherwise, as some haven’t got insurance or adequate insurance, while others even with good insurance are finding there are clauses and exclusions that mean it won’t cover the true cost.
“We have got to work quickly with the government to help us do that.”
Buenas noche Juan estupendo tu blog amigo un abrazo desde Fuerteventura una isla hermosa …. Provincia.
ResponderEliminarMuy bueno el tema de economía, gracias, Juan.
ResponderEliminarNo lo veo por ese camino, más bien lo normal es que acabe controlándonos el FMI. Pondrán tecnócratas como en Italia? .. a muchos les cuesta ni plantarlo pero hemos de tomar el camino más duro para retomar la buena senda .. hay que salir del Euro, tomar el control de nuestra moneda, y potenciar las exportaciones con Urgencia.
ResponderEliminarbueno, hace tiempo que pienso que Alemania quiere hacer como Hitler pero sin violencia, economicamente apoderarse de los paises de la union aunque si no encuentran soluciones para crear empresas sobre todo nosotros estamos fastidiados
ResponderEliminarBonsoir,
ResponderEliminarJe suis une néophite dans la politique, d'avoir voulu d'une Europe forte nous sommes dans une hécatombe, la mondialisiation à fait le reste. Je pense sincèrement que les pays devraient reprendre leurs monnaies. Chaque pays doit se gérer seul.Tout en s'entraidant à des taux plus ou moins fort. L' Allemangne ayant été un pays contrôlé assez longtemps du fait de la dernière guerre mondiale a été habitué à serrer les vis donc demande la même exemple aux autres pays ce qui est impossible par nos mentalités. Cela n'est pas possible, l'Espagne n'est pas l'Allemagne ni les autres pays de l'Europe.l'Espagne ne sera pas une province de L'allemagne, parce que ce n'est pas l'intérêt des autres pays.Je souhaite qu'elle ne devienne pas un usurier qui prête de l'argent à taux fort tout empruntant à taux bas, alors il faudra que l'Europe la sanctionne........
Será un protectorado de esclavos y amos de 2ª..los políticos negreros.
ResponderEliminarPorqué nos preocupa eso ahora a los Almerienses, que somos los abandonados de España, siendo la mas puntera y procuradora de su propio poder. ¿Quién en el mundo domina tres puntos estratégicos, como Mármol y piedras, Energía Solar y Agricultura? Lo que nuestro pais desprecia -Almería- es deseada por los paises del mundo que acuden aquí para formarse, informarse y comprar... Y España sin conocerte Almería...
ResponderEliminar