Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs – in the Senedd at 1:43 pm on 4 March 2020.
So, just to go back to your initial comments around NRW, as I said to you, I made it very clear yesterday that there was further funding, not just from—actually, very little from my portfolio; the majority of the funding that we are bringing forward comes from my colleague Julie James's portfolio. I've made sure that there's funding from my portfolio in relation to the clean-up operation and what's needed immediately, and NRW stressed that at the current time they did not need any additional funding. And certainly they are trying very hard to fill those vacancies, but you will appreciate that flood engineers, for instance, are not people that you can acquire very easily, but they have been working hard and we have seen a reduction in the number of vacancies that they did have, certainly since back in the autumn, when I first raised that concern with them.
In relation to the level of support, you will be aware that it doesn't matter where you live in Wales, the level of funding and support we are giving to households whether they're insured or not insured is absolutely the same. I assume that you are referring to the fact that Rhondda Cynon Taf council are also giving £500 to each household that's been flooded. It's a matter for each local authority whether they decide to give that additional funding. I know your next question is probably going to be, 'Well, some councils can afford it more easily than others.' I don't think any council can afford it easily. I think they've looked at their reserves, the level of reserves they've kept for a rainy day, if you pardon the pun, and clearly they've chosen to do that.