GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCEMENT

BORIS JOHNSON chaired a meeting of the Government’s emergency committee Cobra this afternoon (Tuesday), as pressure mounted to take action.

The Government has announced further support for people and businesses in areas affected by flooding including a Community Recovery Grant and Business Recovery Grant plus an additional 100 UK Armed Forces personnel deployed to South Yorkshire to help support the recovery effort

Boris Johnson has urged people in flood hit areas to heed the advice of the emergency services as he warned there could be more flooding across the country this winter.

“I would just say to people – the emergency services do have sound advice. When they advise you to evacuate, you should do so.”

-PM Boris Johnson

Boris went on to inform that the authorities are working “flat out” to deliver an adequate response, adding: “I know there will be people who feel that that isn’t good enough.

“I know there will be people who are worrying about the damage to their homes, who will be worried about the insurance situation, worried about the losses they face.

“All I want to say to those people is that there are schemes to cover those losses.”

The Prime Minister said £2,500 would be made available to businesses affected by flooding, amid criticism from opposition leaders over the Government’s response to the issue.

Mr Corbyn said if the flooding had happened in Surrey in the South East, it “would have been a very different story”.

The Government’s emergency Bellwin scheme reimburses councils for costs they incur during a response to flooding.

Downpours last week meant several areas in Yorkshire and the East Midlands were struck by a month’s worth of rain in a single day.