Hansard

The Presiding Officer (Tricia Marwick) NPA

The next item of business is a debate on motion S4M-06455, in the name of Chic Brodie, on behalf of the Public Petitions Committee, on petition PE1441, which...

Chic Brodie (South Scotland) (SNP) SNP

Thank you, Presiding Officer—and I noted your hesitation before you said “14 minutes”.I am pleased to open this debate on the motion in my name on behalf of ...

The Presiding Officer NPA

I call the Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Paul Wheelhouse, who has a minimum of 10 minutes for his speech. I remind members who wish to take pa...

The Minister for Environment and Climate Change (Paul Wheelhouse) SNP

The provision and affordability of flood insurance is vitally important to residents and businesses in flood risk areas. Insurance is essential for people to...

Jackson Carlaw (West Scotland) (Con) Con

I am intrigued that the minister said that he has been able to ensure that Scottish interests are represented. Are there particular Scottish interests that h...

Paul Wheelhouse SNP

Chic Brodie alluded to that point, which I will come to. There are some clear differences with regard to the risk faced by Scottish householders. The treatme...

Sarah Boyack (Lothian) (Lab) Lab

At what point will we be able to quantify the cost of the potential options for addressing the priorities in terms of those flood risk areas?

Paul Wheelhouse SNP

I assume—I hope that there will be a physical nod in my direction if I am right—that Sarah Boyack is referring to the potentially vulnerable areas and the co...

Paul Wheelhouse SNP

The Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 sets out for each potentially vulnerable area an indicative figure of the cost of the schemes. In practice, our...

The Deputy Presiding Officer (John Scott) Con

I call Claire Baker, who has a very generous eight minutes.14:44

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Lab

I thank Professor David Crichton for submitting the petition on flood insurance, and the Public Petitions Committee for bringing the debate to the chamber.Th...

Paul Wheelhouse SNP

On transitional arrangements, any solution that the industry proposes might take some years to have its full impact because of the nature of the model that m...

Claire Baker Lab

I thank the minister for that. I do not know what the intentions of the committee are, but it might be helpful if the minister could respond to the committee...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Con

Many thanks. To Alex Johnstone I give a very generous seven minutes.14:54

Alex Johnstone (North East Scotland) (Con) Con

Presiding Officer, thank you very much for your generosity. I will see what I can do.I very much welcome the fact that the Public Petitions Committee has dec...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Con

We move to the open debate. I call Nigel Don, who has a very generous six minutes. You can be loquacious, Mr Don.15:02

Nigel Don (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP) SNP

Thank you, Presiding Officer. I am grateful for your generosity, and I am sure that my constituents—one of whom is Alex Johnstone—will be, too, because, sadl...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Con

Take as much time as you like.

Nigel Don SNP

That is a risky thing to say. Okay.

The Deputy Presiding Officer Con

Within reason.

Nigel Don SNP

We talk about once in 75 years, once in 100 years and once in 200 years flood risks. I think that Chic Brodie mentioned once in 75 years flood risks. We will...

Paul Wheelhouse SNP

I will help to extend the speech a little bit longer.In Brechin, in which I know the member has an interest, in terms of a once in 200 years flood risk, the ...

Nigel Don SNP

We have gone from the numbers to the solutions, but I absolutely agree. That comes back to my basic point that we are never going to prevent floods; what we ...

Anne McTaggart (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab

As a member of the Public Petitions Committee, I welcome this debate on Professor David Crichton’s petition, in which he calls on the Scottish Parliament to ...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Con

I call Maureen Watt. You have a generous six minutes.15:19

Maureen Watt (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP) SNP

Thank you, Presiding Officer.Although I am a substitute member of the Public Petitions Committee, I was not involved in hearing the evidence on the topic. Ho...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Con

I call Marco Biagi.15:27

Marco Biagi (Edinburgh Central) (SNP) SNP

Are you still being generous, Presiding Officer?

The Deputy Presiding Officer Con

Pretty generous, yes. We will use up our time eventually, but at the moment you are fine.

Marco Biagi SNP

You could easily be mistaken for Father Christmas today.As many members said, two issues are at play. One is Professor Crichton’s direct call, in his petitio...