Committee
Rural Affairs and Environment Committee, 11 Mar 2009
11 Mar 2009 · S3 · Rural Affairs and Environment Committee
Item of business
Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
As I have outlined, a key part of taking a sustainable approach is to consider all the options that are available to manage flood risk, and then to select the measures that are most appropriate to a particular range of circumstances. The bill as introduced requires SEPA to consider structural and non-structural measures when setting objectives and measures. Amendment 31 clarifies what should be considered as structural and non-structural measures. All flood risk management measures fall into one of those categories.Structural measures are described in the amendment as "flood protection work". Section 84 states:"‘flood protection work' means any operation on land for the purpose of protecting any land from flooding".Examples of such operations include:"work of construction, alteration, improvement, repair, maintenance, demolition or removal"and"the sowing or planting of vegetation".The definition and the examples that are provided have been carefully considered to ensure that they cover not only traditional engineering work but also all work that falls under the banner of natural flood management. For instance, reconnecting flood plains involves manipulating the land, including by removing embankments; realigning river channels involves altering land; and creating wetlands or forests typically involves altering or improving land and the sowing or planting of vegetation.Non-structural measures are all other measures, including flood warnings, non-structural land management operations, awareness raising and the preparation and review of development plans.The amendment will provide clarification to all those bodies that are responsible for implementing the bill on the range of flood management options that should be considered.I turn to the culture shift that is needed to move us away from a single focus on traditional engineering. That culture shift towards sustainable flood risk management will not happen overnight—we would probably all agree with that—but I believe that the bill, accompanied by the steps that I am already taking to invest in the research base underpinning natural flood management, will support the changes that are necessary for delivering a modern and sustainable approach to managing flood risk. Natural approaches aim to work with the sources and pathways of water as it drains from our landscape. Those are undoubtedly complex elements of the environment to model and understand, and those complexities mean that we might never have the same level of confidence in the more natural approaches to managing flood risk as we have in traditional defences. However, the potential benefits that can be delivered through adopting more natural approaches—those of reducing flood risk and those of restoring the natural character of Scotland's landscape—mean that we must focus on those approaches wherever we believe that we can make a difference. While it is vital that those who are responsible for managing flooding continue to employ traditional engineering solutions, it is imperative that those same organisations take all practical and reasonable steps to manage the sources and pathways of floodwaters by adopting more natural flood management measures.I am confident that amendment 31, in combination with other aspects of the bill that I have already described—and together with the amendments to require SEPA to select the most sustainable measures to achieve objectives, as discussed last week—will contribute to those important endeavours. I move amendment 31
In the same item of business
The Convener (Maureen Watt):
SNP
I welcome everyone to the eighth meeting in 2009 of the Rural Affairs and Environment Committee. I remind everyone to switch off their mobile phones and page...
The Minister for Environment (Roseanna Cunningham):
SNP
Good morning.
Section 24—Flood risk management plans: objectives and measures
The Convener:
SNP
Group 1 is on objectives and measures: assessment of costs. Amendment 86, in the name of Bill Wilson, is the only amendment in the group.
Bill Wilson (West of Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
The aim of the bill is to produce a more sustainable form of flood management. In order to do that, we have to move away from considering only financial cost...
The Convener:
SNP
That was short and sweet.
Bill Wilson:
SNP
I could go on for five minutes.
The Convener:
SNP
No, that was a good start. I hope that we continue in that vein.
Roseanna Cunningham:
SNP
I think that I can be as short and sweet. Amendment 86 is quite closely aligned to the Government's thinking in relation to benefits. For that reason, I am h...
The Convener:
SNP
Bill Wilson, do you want to press or withdraw amendment 86?
Bill Wilson:
SNP
I will press the amendment.
John Scott (Ayr) (Con):
Con
I think that the minister was offering to deal with the issue via a later amendment if you withdraw amendment 86.
Bill Wilson:
SNP
As I understood it, the minister was saying that the amendment was acceptable.
Roseanna Cunningham:
SNP
I accept the amendment. I simply made the point that we will have to come back with a consequential amendment at stage 3.
Amendment 86 agreed to.
Amendment 28 moved—Roseanna Cunningham—and agreed to.
The Convener:
SNP
Group 2 is on objectives and measures: surface run-off water and urban drainage. Amendment 29, in the name of the minister, is grouped with amendment 33.
Roseanna Cunningham:
SNP
The management of surface water flooding presents particular challenges, not least of which is the need to co-ordinate closely the work of local authorities ...
Amendment 29 agreed to.
The Convener:
SNP
Group 3 is on objectives and measures: civil contingencies. Amendment 30, in the name of the minister, is the only amendment in the group.
Roseanna Cunningham:
SNP
The committee raised a concern at stage 1 that the emergency services tend to wait for a flood to become an emergency, rather than take positive action once ...
Amendment 30 agreed to.
The Convener:
SNP
Group 4 is on objectives and measures: structural and non-structural measures. Amendment 31, in the name of the minister, is the only amendment in the group.
Roseanna Cunningham:
SNP
As I have outlined, a key part of taking a sustainable approach is to consider all the options that are available to manage flood risk, and then to select th...
Amendment 31 agreed to.
Section 24, as amended, agreed to.
Section 25—Flood risk management plans: publicity of drafts etc and consultation
The Convener:
SNP
Group 5 is on flood risk management plans: consultation. Amendment 87, in the name of John Scott, is the only amendment in the group.
John Scott:
Con
The amendment simply seeks to give ministers the opportunity, should they wish to use it, to advise SEPA in case SEPA has forgotten to consult someone. It gi...
Roseanna Cunningham:
SNP
Amendment 87 would amend section 25 by giving the Scottish ministers a role in deciding who should be consulted on a draft flood risk management plan before ...