Many people have been asking how we will fund the clean- up after the recent floods across much of the South East.

Fortunately, European money is available to help.

The EU’s Solidarity Fund, which has a budget of up to £414 million for 2014, was set up to provide financial assistance to EU countries struck by major disasters.

When the 2007 floods hit, the UK was granted £134 million from the fund to help with the clean-up process.

I am becoming increasingly concerned that Conservative environment secretary Owen Paterson is ignoring calls to apply for funding because he would rather keep a positive story like this out of the press.

We only have a very small window (just ten weeks) for the Government to apply.

We cannot let party political motivations stand between us and that vital funding.

Giles Goodall, Lib Dem European Parliamentary candidate for South East England