Hansard

The flooding that affected the Highlands and Islands about 18 months ago and the Western Isles a year earlier sharpened much of the debate in the Parliament during the past year and led to the production of one of the best reports that has been presented to the Parliament. The long-term implications of the issues that the report raises, particularly for funding, are such that we must think out of the box. Perhaps we should think beyond the three-year period of the comprehensive spending review and try to secure cross-party agreement on how cash can be found in the long term. I suggest that an oil fund could help. I hope that members agree with me.

We must consider the combination of events such as coastal and pluvial flooding and high tides. Catchment-based flood management is difficult. The resilience to flooding of scattered communities in the Highlands is difficult to predict, given that a tenth of houses in the Highlands are liable to coastal flooding because they are situated less than 5m above high-tide level. How we plan is critical. We must acknowledge our geography and accept that people have a right to live in such communities and to expect the funding that will allow them to do so—although they will have to adapt. The terrible deaths in South Uist are a case in point.

The hydrological studies that are now taking place to work out what should be done should, perhaps, have been carried out before. There has been some remediation, but there is a growing realisation in South Uist that the sea will not let up on the western machairs, and it might be necessary for hundreds of people to move. However, do people in Leith understand that that could be the case for them? The SEPA flood maps show that the major housing developments on the sea shore in Leith could also end up underwater. If we are not taking those issues into account in our planning, the report points to the ways in which we should.

I will give a little example that shows that co-ordination is missing, and why it is needed. One of the incidents in October two years ago affected the burn at Gartymore, just north of Port Gower. Margot MacGregor suddenly saw water flowing past her kitchen window—it was 20ft deep, rather than the burn that normally passes her house. That was frightening for her, and in future we will probably not allow people to build croft houses in such areas.

The culvert became blocked by branches, trees and bushes that were taken down by the flood, and the water flooded over the main A9, washing away about 50yd of the railway bed. It took an enormous effort to convince the police to close the A9, because of the huge diversions that were required. I was able to convince them that Network Rail should get a two-hour window four days later, on a Sunday afternoon, to begin the process of lifting the railway.

That incident highlights the lack of co-ordination, starting with the way in which we manage culverts and ensure that people do not dump bushes and trees into water courses. Landowners have to be more careful about keeping water courses clear. That example shows that people need to be much more geared up to do the routine maintenance that could cut out the problems.

In my own village of Evanton, more and more building has taken place up the hill in Chapel Road, Teandallon Place and Swordale Road, which has meant that the hard concrete and tarmac makes a natural course to carry the waters down. As we heard a parliamentary statement on the floods, we were looking at pictures of the floods at the bottom of the street. Preparation involving flooding equipment, deeper drains and so on will take vast investment, and in small villages such as Evanton there will be major disruption, as there would be in cities. However, the same houses are being flooded time after time. Such villages deserve to be saved from having to face that again.

It is interesting to note the comments that have been made about high resolution radar not being available. That is a matter for the Met Office, which we do not control, and it has also been a matter for the Ministry of Defence. It is now necessary for us to have the debate with London, in the joint ministerial committees, to decide on funding. We should be looking to catch up, because we were left out in the past as being less important. We are equally important, and it is essential that we are able to catch up. The report's many excellent recommendations point us in the direction to enable us to do so. We need to have an overall body, and SEPA is that competent authority, but each local authority has to be tasked to do things. I ask that when the bill is presented, we get a clear steer on how to fund radar.