To ask the Scottish Government whether Fife Council will be given assistance under the Bellwin scheme. (S6O-03561)

The Bellwin scheme allows Scottish ministers to make revenue support available to councils to assist with immediate and unforeseen costs in the aftermath of emergencies that exceed a council’s annual Bellwin threshold. The key criteria of the scheme are that the assistance will

“safeguard life and property, and prevent suffering or severe inconvenience”.

In 2023-24, Fife Council did not submit a claim under the Bellwin scheme. However, discussions are on-going with Fife Council to explore alternative forms of support, including delivery of targeted support for residents and businesses in Cupar, which was badly affected by storm Gerrit.

As the cabinet secretary has recognised, there have been significant problems in Cupar, and across my region there have been a number of significant flooding events. Although local flood grants are available, the pressures on local authorities to manage the impacts of flooding and coastal erosion are increasing.

As the cabinet secretary recognised, Fife Council has recently contacted the Scottish Government and the United Kingdom Government to request an audit of the Bellwin scheme and to seek more financial support for weather events beyond those that are classified as amber.

Will the cabinet secretary say a wee bit more about how the Scottish Government will respond to that request, whether she thinks that there is potential to extend the criteria of the Bellwin scheme, and how we can all ensure that local authorities are better supported to meet the financial costs of flooding impacts in our communities?

I am happy to write to Claire Baker with some detail on that. She knows that the Bellwin scheme goes back to about 2005. We are keen to discuss with local government the arrangements going forward. We have agreed a number of recommendations from the work of the Scottish Government and Convention of Scottish Local Authorities flood risk management working group, which was formed in order to look at improving some of the schemes and how they work.

However, I am absolutely open to looking at whether further reform is required. Of course, we have put a great deal of investment into flood-risk management, and we will continue to do that and to support communities that are adversely affected.

I am happy to write to Claire Baker with further detail on support for Fife and the on-going discussions on that.