§ Mrs. Ray MichieTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make it his policy to introduce a statutory requirement for river purification boards to provide advance flood warnings covering both river and coastal areas; and if he will make a statement.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonRiver purification boards and islands councils already have powers under the Agriculture Act 1970, as amended by the Local Government and Planning (Scotland) Act 1982, to provide and operate flood warning systems in their areas after consulting the chief constables and local authorities in whose areas it is proposed to exercise these powers. This procedure ensures that decisions about flood warning systems are taken by those best able to consider local needs and I have no plans to alter the statutory basis of these arrangements.