4. To ask the Scottish Government whether Scottish Canals has any role in flood prevention. (S4O-05267)

Scottish Canals has a role to play in water management and has canal and reservoir assets that play an active part in flood mitigation. Scottish Canals is represented on the Scottish Government’s flooding stakeholder group and is working with partners in the public sector to assist with water resource management and flood control.

Given the recent adverse weather conditions, will we have to update Scottish Canals’ dredging programme?

We are deepening the strategy here—at this point the Official Report will record “loud laughter at the minister’s comments.”

There is a serious issue about the use of dredging. Scottish Canals is looking at practices and genuinely strengthening its expertise on dredging, and it is looking at where it can be deployed. In all seriousness, work is being taken forward on the issue. I am happy to give Fiona McLeod more information if she requires it.

How will working structures for flood prevention take into account the local knowledge of communities, businesses and land managers? How can they be made as robust as possible, to ensure that information flows both ways in the development of plans?

I am not one for passing responsibility, but that is more of a matter for my environment colleagues. I am more than happy to share Claudia Beamish’s question with Aileen McLeod and come back to her with the detail of the structures and their community and stakeholder involvement.

I cite Scottish Canals as an example of an organisation with which we work closely. It clearly has a role to play in issues of water use and management, flood attenuation schemes and so on. I am happy to pass on that exchange to the appropriate minister.