Roger Godsiff

Labour Party | Birmingham Sparkbrook and Small Heath

“No” to disaster fund says Lord Mayor

Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor John Hood, will not be launching a disaster appeal in the wake of the widespread damage caused by the recent tornado.

Replying to an earlier letter from the Sparkbrook and Small Heath MP, Roger Godsiff, in which he urged to Council to consider launching, as a matter of urgency, a disaster fund to help the people and local businesses most badly affected, the Lord Mayor said: “This is a matter which I have discussed at great length with the Leader of the Council and in all of the circumstances, the decision has been taken not to launch an appeal”.

The Lord Mayor did however say that he had: “pledged his support to help and promote any fundraising that is being arranged by the community and businesses affected” although he was not specific as to how this would take place.

Roger Godsiff MP said that Councillor John Hood’s response on behalf of the Council was a disappointing one because he believed that such a fund, centrally administered, would go along way to dealing immediately with genuine hardship cases particularly businesses faced with short and medium term financial difficulties.

“What people want and need is help now” he said “with livelihoods at stake they shouldn’t have to wait for the bureaucracy of central and local government to grind into action on a tide of good intentions or the results of some committee of enquiry at a later date which confirms that things could have been done differently and more quickly.”

The City Council is currently seeking financial support from Central Government to help with the repair and rebuilding that will be required in the affected areas and responding to individual requests via the appropriate Council departments.