§ Mr. John Garrettasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on progress in assisting Norfolk county council in its costs of repairing damage caused by the February blizzards.
§ Mr. Denis HowellYes. I consider the statement made recently by the leader of the Norfolk county council to be quite unwarranted and I am astonished that he should have made it without having first approached me direct. When I was in Norfolk I made it quite clear to the council that I was at its disposal should it have any difficulties arising from the blizzard.
I announced on 19 February that the Government would, as in other emergencies, contribute to local authorities 75 per cent. of their expenditure in excess of a 1p rate in dealing with the damage caused by the blizzards this winter. Following that, my Department wrote to the local authority associations giving further details of that assistance and guidance in the submission of claims. In that letter, which was entirely about the emergency work needed to be done, the view was expressed that it was reasonable to expect that such work should normally be carried out by the end of April—more 330W than two months after the severe blizzards of early February. Clearly, however, if there were any exceptional circumstances, including the later bad weather, holding up the work an approach to my Department would be sympathetically considered.
No local authority has asked me to extend the period for repairs in its particular circumstances although I understand that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport has received general representations to that effect.
I can only say that if Norfolk county council, or, of course, any other local authority, wishes to take advantage of our readiness to review the timescale in its special circumstances, I shall be pleased to hear from them.