§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the First Secretary of the National Assembly for Wales concerning financial help for the County of Flintshire following the November flooding; and if he will make a statement on the national flood assistance money for(a) Flintshire and (b) Wales. [140554]
§ Mr. Paul MurphyI meet regularly with the First Secretary to discuss a range of matters, including the effects on Wales of the recent bad weather.
I have confirmed that the Welsh budget will be increased by £3 million over the four year period to 2003–04, as a consequence of additional funding made available for flood prevention work in England. It will be for the National Assembly to allocate this sum according to its own priorities.
Edwina Hart, Assembly Secretary for Finance, Local Government and Communities, has already announced that, under the Bellwin arrangements, local authorities will receive 100 per cent. reimbursement of eligible expenditure above a threshold which is set at 0.2 per cent. of each authority's revenue budget.