Brown promises 14 million pounds for floods

LONDON, July 7 (Reuters) Prime Minister Gordon Brown promised an extra 14 million pounds to help regions hit by June's floods as he toured the most badly hit areas in northern England today.

''I am taking immediate action to alleviate the suffering of those affected by the floods,'' said Brown.

He said the funding was to get people ''back on their feet as quickly as possible.'' But the council leader of Hull, where 16,000 homes have been damaged, said the money was not enough.

''There is a massive reconstruction effort that needs to go on in Hull and South Yorkshire,'' Carl Minns told BBC television.

''That needs cold, hard cash from the government. It needs a lot more than what Gordon Brown has promised today,'' he added.

Thousands are still clearing up two weeks after torrential rain hit Humberside, Yorkshire and the Midlands, overwhelming drains and river banks.

Insurers are expecting 1.5 billion pounds of claims for damage to homes and businesses.

Hull estimates its damaged schools alone need up to 100 million pounds for rebuilding costs.

''The important thing is that this is just the start,'' said a spokeswoman for the Communities and Local Government department, which is coordinating the response to the floods.

''This is an additional 14 million pounds that has been found for immediate relief,'' she said.

The money would be separate from so-called Bellwin funds which local authorities can claim for the non-insurable costs of disasters.

Councils will also be able to reclaim 100 per cent of their costs, rather than the usual 85 per cent, and would be given six months instead of the normal two to assess how much money they needed.

Local Government Association Chairman Simon Milton said it was too early to have a clear estimate of the final cost of the floods.

''We will need to go back to the government in due course to ensure that people get the help that they need,'' he said.

Archbishop of York John Sentamu, who visited Hull on Friday, told BBC television a swift response was needed.

''What needs to happen now is to make sure that those who lost their homes can be sorted out pretty quickly,'' he said.

REUTERS SV PM1832