§ Mr. McMasterTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what specific assistance will be available to local authorities to undertake(a) temporary and (b) permanent flood prevention schemes in Strathclyde during the current financial year and in future years; if he will make additional capital and revenue funding available for flood prevention schemes; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. StewartStrathclyde regional council is the flood prevention authority for its area. For immediate expenditure on emergency works and temporary repairs to existing flood defence works following severe flooding the Bellwin scheme will apply. The Scottish Office will by this means meet 85 per cent. of current expenditure incurred over the council's threshold.
In the longer term, the council and its successor authorities will wish to consider what use it should make of its powers under the Flood Prevention (Scotland) Act 1961. Government grant of 50 per cent. is available towards the eligible costs of approved schemes. I can 348W assure the hon. Member that any proposals for flood prevention schemes will be given prompt consideration and will be taken into account when setting the capital allocations at that time.
§ Mr. McMasterTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the definition of insurable as described in the Bellwin scheme; how this will apply to the property which was insurable, but not insured, in the recent floods; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. StewartThe cost of dealing with any damage or loss that is insurable under normal insurance policies is not eligible for grant under the Bellwin scheme. This applies irrespective of whether or not the damage or loss in question was in fact insured.
It is for local authorities themselves to make their own insurance arrangements. Grant under the Bellwin scheme is not intended to recompense authorities for loss or damage against which they could have insured but chose in fact not to do so. Local authorities are therefore expected to demonstrate when submitting claims in respect of loss or damage to their own property that the property was not insurable in the normally accepted sense, and to indicate in their claims whether or not any property covered by the claim was insured, and if not, to give reasons why insurance had not been taken.
These requirements are contained in Scottish Office Finance Circular No. 6/1990, which sets out the rules governing the Bellwin scheme and are those which will be applied to any claims from local authorities arising from the Strathclyde flooding.
§ Mr. McMasterTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what security arrangements were in place during his visit to the Paisley flood sites in the period between Christmas and new year; how often he has made official visits under these arrangements since he assumed his Cabinet post; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. McMasterTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what assessment he has made of the causes of abnormal flooding in Renfrew district during recent months; what future measures he will take to identify the causes of such flooding; and if he will make a statement;
(2) if he will assist the financing of comprehensive hydrological study to examine the underlying reasons for the floods in Strathclyde during December 1994; if he will instruct appropriate departments of the Scottish Office to establish a task force to act as lead agency in such a study; if he will instruct or assist the development of related detailed hydrological studies of smaller geographical areas where flooding occurred; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. StewartThe floods were a consequence of exceptional rainfall leading to unprecedented flows in rivers over much of Strathclyde. It is important to record and analyse the details of the floods and their effects. My right hon. Friend is pleased to announce that he has agreed to pay £10,000 towards the costs of a comprehensive hydrological study being promoted by the Clyde River purification board. His officials will participate in the development and management of the study. Similarly there is likely to be a need for a separate study of urban watercourses and culverts and their role in flooding. Strathclyde regional council is the responsible authority and it is for it to take the lead. But here again the Scottish 349W Office is ready to provide support to Strathclyde regional council, both through a contribution to costs and participation in a steering group, should the council decide to promote such a study.
§ Mr. McMasterTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland in what ways the Clyde port authority has changed its policies and responsibilities for preventing floods since it was privatised; if he will publish a table showing(a) the location and (b) frequency of dredging operations for each of the three years which (i) preceded and (ii) followed privatisation; what assessment he has made of the responsibility of Clyde port authority in the recent floods; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. StewartClydeport Ltd.—previously Clyde Port Authority—is not responsible for flood prevention. The company has a permissive power to dredge the Clyde river channel to the extent necessary for the maintenance and improvement of the port.
Information about Clydeport Ltd.'s dredging operations is not readily available in the format requested. The information set out in the table has been supplied by Clydeport Ltd. but locations and frequencies vary according to operational requirements.
Quantities dredged per annum from common river channel and Clydeport Operations Limited's operational docks and berths between Broomielaw and Newshot Light/Dalmuir Year Quantity (m3) 1989 228,872 1990 155,954 1991 222,199 1992 56,664 1993 62,825 1994 135,943 1995 (planned) 96,951
§ Mr. McMasterTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his advice to residents who were victims of the Strathclyde floods who have to return to their homes before flood prevention measures have been put in place; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. StewartThe Government fully recognise that residents remain concerned and will expect that immediate action can be taken to protect their property against the possibility of a recurrence. However the extent and priority of any flood prevention measures are matters for the regional council. Accordingly concerned residents should take every opportunity to let the council know how they feel and press for priority to be accorded to addressing their particular situations.
In considering its response the council will be aware of the very extreme nature of the recent events and will have to make a careful assessment of risk to determine the degree of protection which any schemes it decides to implement might afford. Pending the development of any permanent flood prevention measures, councils may be able to advise on precautions residents could take to minimise damage to their property in the event of further flooding.