This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-35052705

The article has changed 11 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Storm Desmond: £50m flood fund pledged for victims Storm Desmond: £50m flood fund pledged for victims
(35 minutes later)
George Osborne has announced a £50m fund for families and businesses hit by floods in Cumbria and Lancashire.George Osborne has announced a £50m fund for families and businesses hit by floods in Cumbria and Lancashire.
The announcement came in the Commons, where the chancellor was standing in for David Cameron during Prime Minister's Questions. Each family would be able to claim up to £5,000 to protect their homes from future damage, the chancellor told MPs at Prime Minister's Questions.
He was responding to shadow first secretary of state Angela Eagle's request for a guarantee that those affected would receive help quickly.
Mr Osborne said families would be able to claim up to £5,000 each.
Funding would be administered by local authorities to avoid delays, he added.Funding would be administered by local authorities to avoid delays, he added.
He said the level of damage to the infrastructure and existing flood defences in parts of Cumbria and Lancashire was currently being assessed, and funds would be made available. Mr Osborne was responding to shadow first secretary of state Angela Eagle's request for a guarantee that those affected would receive help quickly.
Labour's Ms Eagle said only 15% of those affected by last winter's floods had received promised financial assistance. She said only 15% of those affected by last winter's floods had received promised financial assistance.
The deluge brought by Storm Desmond began on 4 December, flooding 5,000 homes in Cumbria and Lancashire and causing widespread damage and power cuts.
In an update on the situation, Mr Osborne said power had been restored to 168,000 homes after record rainfall and the West Coast mainline was running again.
He said the level of damage to the infrastructure, roads and existing flood defences in parts of Cumbria and Lancashire was currently being assessed, and funds would be made available.
The Treasury said £500 would be offered to homeowners in need of temporary accommodation and a grant of up to £5,000 would be available to pay for barriers, waterproof doors and higher electrical sockets to protect their home in the future.
Businesses would be offered up to £2,500 to help them to resume trading.
The Environment Agency will be given £10m to repair flood defences damaged by the rain.
In a further announcement at PMQs, Mr Osborne, who was standing in for David Cameron, said the government would match up to £1m collected by the Cumbria Community Foundation to help recovery from the floods.
Conservative Carlisle MP John Stevenson said the charity would help people "right across the county".
Clean-ups have begun in Carlisle, Keswick and Cockermouth but the Environment Agency said flood warnings may be reissued for those areas, as well as Appleby and Kendal.
More rain is already covering parts of Cumbria and is expected to turn heavy later.
Forecasters predict 12 hours of rain but believe the effects will not be as severe as during Storm Desmond.
Live flood warnings from the Environment Agency and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency