This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk/6286492.stm
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Insurers to discuss flood claims | Insurers to discuss flood claims |
| (about 6 hours later) | |
| Representatives from the insurance industry are meeting ministers to see how best to deal with the cost of claims following the recent floods. | Representatives from the insurance industry are meeting ministers to see how best to deal with the cost of claims following the recent floods. |
| Ministers have already met local councils to discuss how to spend the £14m relief package announced by Prime Minister Gordon Brown. | Ministers have already met local councils to discuss how to spend the £14m relief package announced by Prime Minister Gordon Brown. |
| UK insurers are facing a bill of around £1.5bn after June's floods. | UK insurers are facing a bill of around £1.5bn after June's floods. |
| The Archbishop of York has backed an appeal fund for farmers who lost crops and livestock in the deluge. | |
| Dr John Sentamu will ask those gathered at the General Synod in York to make a donation to the ARC-Addington Fund, which was originally set up to help farmers affected by the foot-and-mouth crisis. | |
| The fund has already received a donation from the Prince of Wales. | |
| The recent bout of severe flooding is estimated to have hit 31,200 homes and 7,000 businesses, mainly in the Midlands and northern England. | The recent bout of severe flooding is estimated to have hit 31,200 homes and 7,000 businesses, mainly in the Midlands and northern England. |
| The government says it is putting pressure on insurers to see that claims are processed as quickly as possible. | |
| 'Top priority' | 'Top priority' |
| Nick Starling of the Association of British Insurers said the meeting with ministers would be to explain how insurers have been handling the large number of claims the industry had received. | Nick Starling of the Association of British Insurers said the meeting with ministers would be to explain how insurers have been handling the large number of claims the industry had received. |
| He said: "One of the things we want to do is update them on what the insurance industry has been doing to address these devastating floods. | He said: "One of the things we want to do is update them on what the insurance industry has been doing to address these devastating floods. |
| There are already examples of 600 sheep drowned in one farm in south east Staffordshire Dr John SentamuArchbishop of Canterbury | |
| "The problem with flooding is that the damage is very severe, it takes a long time to deal with, it takes a long time for properties to dry out before you can actually start remedying and rebuilding." | "The problem with flooding is that the damage is very severe, it takes a long time to deal with, it takes a long time for properties to dry out before you can actually start remedying and rebuilding." |
| The Communities Secretary Hazel Blears told the House of Commons that pressure was being applied to insurers. | |
| She said: "I hope the house will appreciate how seriously we're taking this issue around insurance to make sure that claims are dealt with speedily, fairly, and [that] there is sufficient capacity to really get on with this, because this is a top priority for members of the public." | She said: "I hope the house will appreciate how seriously we're taking this issue around insurance to make sure that claims are dealt with speedily, fairly, and [that] there is sufficient capacity to really get on with this, because this is a top priority for members of the public." |
| Dr Sentamu said the floods had caused "significant misery for many farmers". | |
| "There are already examples of 600 sheep drowned in one farm in south east Staffordshire, 350 on another in Tamworth," he said. | |
| 'No accurate data' | 'No accurate data' |
| Environment Secretary Hilary Benn has said the government is to increase flood defence spending from £600m this year to £800m a year in 2010/11. | Environment Secretary Hilary Benn has said the government is to increase flood defence spending from £600m this year to £800m a year in 2010/11. |
| Insurers have also called for more information on the country's flood defences to help them with offering cover. | Insurers have also called for more information on the country's flood defences to help them with offering cover. |
| "What we have is a map of the country with no accurate flood defence data on there," said Simon Warsop, head of flood mapping at Norwich Union insurers. | "What we have is a map of the country with no accurate flood defence data on there," said Simon Warsop, head of flood mapping at Norwich Union insurers. |
| "We are desperate for the Environment Agency to share that flood defence data with us." | "We are desperate for the Environment Agency to share that flood defence data with us." |