- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 April 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30798 by Gillian Martin on 7 November 2024, for what reason more schemes have not been confirmed, or begun the legal notification process towards confirmation, in light of £570 million being assigned for the period 2016-26, and only £408.8 million estimated to date as final costs.
Answer
The £570 million referenced in the answer to question S6W-30798 on 7 November 2024 is provided by Scottish Government to local authorities to support a range of flood resilience actions, including cycle 1 Flood Protection Schemes. The development and delivery of Flood Protection Schemes is a local authority responsibility.
Cost estimates for completion of cycle one flood protection schemes are updated annually by local authorities in November so estimated costs have increased since question S6W-30798 was answered.
The Scottish Government/ COSLA Funding Working Group are considering new recommendations to put to Ministers and COSLA Leaders to improve certainty around the remaining cycle 1 flood protection schemes. This is necessary before commitment to new schemes outside cycle one.
All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 April 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30798 by Gillian Martin on 7 November 2024, whether it will meet all final costs, regardless of any increase compared with the initial estimate.
Answer
As outlined in the answer to question S6W-30798 on 7 November, since 2016, the Scottish Government has allocated £570 million to local authorities for flood protection schemes and flood resilience. In this period, the estimated costs of cycle one schemes eligible for funding has risen.
A joint Scottish Government/ COSLA Funding Working Group was established to make recommendations to Ministers and COSLA Leaders on how to improve the affordability of the remaining cycle one schemes. This has resulted in the removal of 6 schemes that failed to meet key progress deadlines from the funding programme.
The Funding Working Group are considering whether further recommendations are required to ensure the programme remains affordable.
All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 April 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30798 by Gillian Martin on 7 November 2024, where the annual reports required under section 52 of the Flood Risk Management Act (2009), can be accessed.
Answer
Flood risk management implementation reports are available on the Scottish Government's website. Some reports have been completed for single years and some for multiple years.
Relevant links are provided below:
A report covering the period 2021 to 2024 is under development.
Local authorities also produce regular mid cycle and end of cycle reports on the delivery of actions in the Flood Risk Management Plans.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 April 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32194 by Gillian Martin on 3 January 2025, where the minutes of meetings held between the Scottish Ministers and COSLA can be accessed.
Answer
The answer to S6W-32194 referred to a Scottish Government and COSLA funding working group set up to consider both the affordability of the 2015 flood protection scheme programme and use lessons learned to inform the future funding and governance model for flooding. This group is not attended by Ministers but by Scottish Government officials.
The majority of these minutes have previously been released by Scottish Government in response to an Environmental Information Regulations request - Flood Risk Management Working Group meeting minutes: EIR release - gov.scot.
All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 April 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32194 by Gillian Martin on 3 January 2025, when it last met with COSLA.
Answer
The Scottish Government and COSLA funding working group described in the answer to question S6W-32194 on 3 January 2025 last met on 6 March 2025.
All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 April 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32194 by Gillian Martin on 3 January 2025, whether SEPA's assessment of flood protection schemes completed for the 2021 Flood Risk Management Plans is available to view.
Answer
This information is not published, however is available on request from SEPA.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 April 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 22 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32194 by Gillian Martin on 3 January 2025, whether it will provide an update on the (a) current status (b) available funding and (c) expected costs for all flood protection schemes
Answer
Since the answer given to question S6W-32194 on 3 January:
1.The position on funding for new flood protection schemes has not changed since 3 January 2025.
2.The total available funding to date for flood resilience including flood resilience schemes has not changed since 3 January 2025.
3.Potential new Flood Protection Schemes outlined in Local Authority Flood Risk Management Plans in 2021 will be considered as part of any new funding agreement – this will require updated estimated costs from Local Authorities for cycle 2 schemes.
Expected costs for cycle 1 schemes are given below. This updates the information given in response to question S6W-30798 on 7 November. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.
Table for local authorities for cycle 1
| | Scheme name | Local authority | Cost estimate (£m) (100%) (24/25) | Status |
1 | Huntly | Aberdeenshire | 3.814 | Complete |
2 | Newmill | Moray | 1.800 | Complete |
3 | Dundee | Dundee City | 6.917 | Complete |
4 | Kirkwall | Orkney | 1.750 | Complete |
5 | White Cart Water Phase 3 | Glasgow | 7.231 | Complete |
6 | Camlachie Burn | Glasgow | 1.767 | Complete |
7 | Port Glasgow - Bouverie Burn | Inverclyde | 0.400 | Complete |
8 | Smithton and Culloden | Highland | 10.042 | Complete |
9 | Broughty Ferry | Dundee City | 16.272 | Complete |
10 | Kirkintilloch - Park Burn | East Dunbartonshire | 0.397 | Complete |
11 | New Cumnock | East Ayrshire | 8.350 | Complete |
12 | Drumnadrochit | Highland | 5.073 | Complete |
13 | Arbroath | Angus | 13.53 | Complete |
14 | Caol and Lochyside | Highland | 15.235 | Complete |
15 | Stonehaven | Aberdeenshire | 27.501 | Complete |
16 | Millport Coastal | North Ayrshire | 48.600 | Complete |
17 | Stranraer | Dumfries and Galloway | 1.594 | Complete |
18 | Kilmacolm – Glenmosston Burn | Inverclyde | 0.500 | Complete |
19 | Upper Garnock | North Ayrshire | 18.504 | Complete |
20 | Campbeltown | Argyll and Bute | 16.006 | Under construction |
21 | Hawick | Borders | 78.647 | Under construction |
22 | Comrie | Perth and Kinross | 40.820 | Under construction |
23 | Milnathort | Perth and Kinross | 0.910 | Construction due 2025 |
24 | Port Glasgow - Bouverie Burn | Inverclyde | 0.400 | Construction due 2025 |
25 | Dumfries - Whitesands | Dumfries and Galloway | 69.420 | Legal confirmation complete |
26 | Mill Burn Millport | North Ayrshire | 3.000 | Legal confirmation complete |
27 | Dumbarton Gruggies Burn | West Dunbartonshire | 39.000 | Notified March 2024 |
28 | South Kinross | Perth and Kinross | 15.075 | Notified March 2024 |
29 | Musselburgh | East Lothian | 106.000 | Notified March 2024 |
30 | Bridge of Allan | Stirling | 17.311 | Notified March 2024 |
31 | Newton Stewart/ River Cree | Dumfries and Galloway | 19.056 | Notified March 2024 |
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Allan on 22 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will put in place a moratorium on all battery energy storage system planning applications until the findings of any investigation into the recent fire at the battery energy storage system site at Rothienorman in Aberdeenshire are published.
Answer
The Scottish Government has no current plans to introduce a moratorium on battery energy storage system developments. There is a statutory structure that must be followed for all decision-making. Where new development proposals come forward, each application must be considered on its individual merits.
Where the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) receive information about a proposed BESS site they refer those duty holders (site operators) responsible for the plant to the National Fire Chief Council's (NFCC) Grid Scale Planning Guidance for FRS. These guidelines detail, amongst other elements, minimum standards for fire safety systems and design features, water requirements for firefighting, and access requirements.
BESS sites also fall under special fire precautions which are regulated by the Health and Safety Executive under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 due to the equipment used to collect, store and release electricity as required.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 28 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Allan on 17 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider changing the eligibility criteria for the Home Energy Scotland grant to install a heat source pump, to allow one application per homeowner regardless of this being their main residence, in order to bring this in line with the equivalent UK Government grant.
Answer
The Scottish Government, at present, has no plans to review the eligibility criteria of the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan Scheme, which sets out that funding is reserved for primary private residences only.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 April 2025
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 24 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how it is ensuring access to early learning and childcare for families in rural areas, in light of reports of recent nursery closures.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 24 April 2025
