3. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide funding for grants for those households and businesses flooded during storm Gerrit, in light of it providing such funding for those affected by storm Babet. (S6T-01721)

I recognise the efforts of local recovery partnerships, which have worked so hard to respond to storm Gerrit, and I express my sympathy for those who have had their lives disrupted by flooding.

The Scottish Government is committed to playing our part in supporting communities through such events. The Scottish Government provides £42 million annually to local authorities to fulfil their flood risk management obligations, and we have committed an additional £150 million over this parliamentary session to improve flood resilience. We also support communities through the Scottish welfare fund, through which grants can be provided to low-income households for emergencies such as flooding.

Storm Babet was a highly unusual weather event. Given the almost unprecedented Met Office red warnings for rain, we have provided additional grant support for households and businesses that have been flooded in affected local authority areas. However, we are sympathetic to the situation following storm Gerrit, and we will continue to engage with affected councils.

T hat is not good enough, because for my constituents who were flooded out of their homes just days after Christmas, the situation was just as traumatic as it had been for the people in Angus who received grants, so I ask the Minister please not to insult them by saying that the situation in Angus was exceptional. If someone has two foot of water in their house when they wake up in the morning, that is exceptional. Will the minister therefore reconsider the decision?

I recognise very well the sentiment that Willie Rennie expresses on behalf of his constituents: for any individual household that is affected, the event will be traumatic—especially just days after Christmas.

Willie Rennie asked me to reconsider my decision. I clarify, in case he did not infer it from my answer to his original question, that a decision has not been taken. We are giving the issue careful consideration. We have engaged with Fife Council, which is preparing reports as we speak, and we will give the matter further consideration, in due course.

As I said, we are very sympathetic to the situation that is faced by Mr Rennie’s constituents, and we are giving careful consideration to what more support can be provided.

I will take that as a kind of “yes”, which I hope it is.

I hope that the Minister is not just flannelling me, because people are flooded out of their homes now, and their businesses have been destroyed. Mohamed Khalid lost his business when water surged into his shop, destroying stock and expensive fridges and freezers. Matt Hooper woke up to two foot of water around his bed, and his fridge was floating in his living room. He is now homeless. Both have tried to get help, but none has been available. Will the minister come to Cupar and tell them to their faces that he is not going to give them money, or that they will get the money—the sooner, the better?

The Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition, Màiri McAllan, and I will be happy to engage directly with Willie Rennie. As I said in my original answer, I express my deepest sympathy to all who have been affected by the flooding. As I also said, we are giving the matter careful consideration and will continue to engage with our partners in local government to consider what more support can be provided.

The Presiding Officer:

I am keen to get more questions in, so let us have more concise questions and responses.

F unding is critical to support communities that are recovering from storms and the associated flood damage, but so is long-term planning and management in order to mitigate the impact, to build up resilience and to share best practice. Watercourses cross council boundaries, and local authorities might be reluctant to instigate measures that do not have direct local benefits. Without an holistic approach being taken to river basin management, communities will be left to suffer. Will the Minister investigate plans to establish an organisation that would be responsible for river basin management and which would also be accountable to communities?

I thank Maurice Golden for his supplementary question. He will appreciate that the specific matters that he raised in his considered question lie within the responsibility of my colleague Màiri McAllan. I will be happy to ensure that the member’s remarks are passed on to Ms McAllan, who will, I am sure, be happy to engage with the member and provide a written response.

I have been contacted by many constituents across Angus and south Aberdeenshire who have lost much as a result of repeated flooding over recent months. Drainage systems are no longer adequate, other flood prevention measures are insufficient, and crisis funds and insurance do not cover the losses that are being experienced. Given that flooding is becoming more prevalent and severe, what is the Scottish Government’s long-term plan for flood prevention and mitigation to ensure that people can continue to live and work safely in affected areas?

No country can mitigate the risk of flooding entirely, but since 2008 the Scottish Government has made available £42 million per year for local authorities to invest in flood risk management actions. As I said earlier, that is in addition to £150 million that is being made available over the course of this parliamentary session to support delivery of flood resilience measures.

We have been working with stakeholders to develop the first flood resilience strategy for Scotland, with communities at its heart, which will form an integral part of shaping a climate-resilient Scotland. The strategy aims to initiate a transformational change to flood management in order that we can adapt our places and set Scotland on a long-term course towards sustainable flood resilience. We will move to a public consultation in due course, and our intention is to publish the strategy later this year.

I rise as a member whose Constituency has a very high level of flood risk. Despite what Willie Rennie said, we have all seen the lamentable lack of support that has been given to residents and businesses in Brechin. Answers to freedom of information requests that I have in my possession show that, even as late as last month, Angus Council was still struggling to find capacity and resources to even begin to pick up the pieces.

My question is very simple. Why is the Scottish Government so slow at responding to these crises? What lessons can it learn from the rapid response that we saw down south to storm Henk? Is not it time that ministers got their act together—[

Interruption

.] I see members on the Government front bench laughing at this question. That is a ridiculous response, and the Minister should be ashamed. Is not it time that ministers got their act together on flood emergency response—full stop?

I compare and contrast Mr Kerr’s question with the original question from Willie Rennie, which was absolutely focused on the interests of his constituents. It is a shame that Mr Kerr chose to try to score a political point on the matter.

This is a serious issue that affects all countries. We have established a task force that has met on multiple occasions to respond to the particularly exceptional challenges that resulted from storm Babet last year. We are committed to working with our local authority partners and local recovery groups to ensure that we can improve our flood resilience, both in the long term and in responding to specific challenges. However, as we recognise from the events, climate change and its implications are not simply a matter for the future: they are with us here and now, which makes it utterly lamentable and shameful that the United Kingdom Conservative Government has so drastically watered down its commitment to net zero.

The Presiding Officer:

That concludes topical questions.