§ Mr. BarkerTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what emergency funding is in place for East Sussex Fire Brigade to help it deal with heavy flooding in east Sussex. [19929]
§ Dr. WhiteheadThe fire service is funded through the local authority revenue support grant system. In the event of a combined fire authority, such as east Sussex, incurring exceptional expenditure it would be able to seek any necessary additional funding from its constituent local authorities. These constituent local authorities would in turn be eligible to apply for emergency financial assistance under the Bellwin Scheme, subject to the normal criteria that apply to that scheme.