§ 45. Mr. Bill WalkerTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of the aid which his Department has given to flood victims in Tayside; and what assistance his Department has received from the Tayside regional council and the Tay purification board.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonNo claims have yet been received from farmers in Tayside in respect of the special assistance for the repair of elevated floodbanks. Similarly, claims from local authorities from assistance under the Bellwin arrangements are still awaited.
The Scottish Office received valuable assistance from the Tay river purification board in the form of situation reports and detailed information on river levels and flows. The board also concluded that a flood warning system for the River Tay should be completed as soon as practicable. The Scottish Office endorsed this proposal by adjusting the board's borrowing consent to permit the necessary expenditure to be incurred this year.
Tayside regional council acted as co-ordinators for the emergency services during the flood. Council staff operated the emergency control centre arid teams of workmen and equipment were supplied to meet problems as they arose. In addition, situation reports were provided to the Scottish Office.
In response to a suggestion by my noble Friend the Minister of State, the regional council has taken the lead in co-ordinating the various interests concerned with river corridor management in the Tay area. The council has identified a need for an independent survey by expert hydrologists and has already interviewed consultants in this field about the terms of a possible brief for such a study. A meeting of interested parties is currently being arranged and will be held shortly.
654WFor our part, the Government have agreed to contribute up to £10,000 towards the costs of the study and Scottish Office officials will continue to co-operate in these initiatives.