Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government (SG) purchases bottled water for use in free standing water coolers and through the SG Catering Contract.

We are currently in the process of removing bottled water coolers from staff areas across the SG estate to be replaced by mains water units. A small number of water coolers will remain, mainly in public and communal areas.

The supply of still bottled water through the catering contract ceased in August 2008 and was replaced by mains water. Bottled sparkling water can be supplied when required.

These initiatives are realising both financial and carbon savings.

The following tables set out the costs for purchases of bottled water for both water coolers and through the catering contract. Financial information on water coolers is only available from 2004 and for bottled water from 2003.

Water Coolers

2004-05	£50,923
2005-06	£85,272
2006-07	£77,474
2007-08	£80,085
2008-09	£71,911
April to December 2009	£51,168

 

Bottled Water

2003-04	£32,118
2004-05	£42,798
2005-06	£46,911
2006-07	£54,789
2007-08	£61,306
2008-09	£26,597
April 2009 to January 2010	£1,443

 

The overarching aim of Scottish Planning Policy for flooding is that inappropriate development which would have a significant probability of being affected by flooding or would increase the probability of flooding elsewhere should not be permitted. Where development is likely to be at risk of flooding a planning authority must consult SEPA and if a planning authority wishes to approve development contrary to SEPA''s views they are required to notify it to the Scottish Ministers who may or may not call it in for their own decision.

For the last flood risk years, the Scottish Government has provided SEPA with £100,000 per year to support their annual campaign to raise public awareness of flood risk in Scotland.

The campaign is carried out in partnership with local authorities and other delivery partners (including fire and rescue services), and involves a series of events throughout the year, including having an information trailer in attendance at events, ongoing advertising in community newspapers, cinemas, buses and at sports grounds in flood risk areas across Scotland. In recent years, it has also included touring plays about flooding - targeted at schools and adults in flood risk areas - and public information events in flood risk communities supported by local newspaper advertising and poster campaigns. SEPA is also planning a series of events this spring with accompanying media activity and community engagement to coincide with the opening of the new North East Flood Warning Scheme serving communities at risk from the rivers North Esk, Dee, Don and Deveron.

We are also funding the £8.6 million development of SEPA''s new Floodline Warnings Direct service. This includes a significant, targeted campaign of awareness-raising prior to the launch of the new service in spring 2011, using community engagement, direct mail and media activity, aimed at people living in flood warning scheme areas.

In addition, during the recent extreme weather conditions, a SEPA spokesperson and the Floodline number was included in the Scottish Government''s Life Matters platform which broadcasts across the Bauer local radio network (Forth 1, Forth 2, Clyde 1, Clyde 2, Tay AM, Tay FM, Northsound 1, Northsound 2, Moray Firth Radio, West Sound (West Sound, West FM and South West Sound) and Radio Borders) reaching 40% of all Scottish adults per week. An audio clip by a SEPA spokesman was sent to community and local radio stations across Scotland. The Floodline number was also included within local newspaper adverts across 87 titles, reaching 65% of Scottish adults. SEPA web links were placed on the Scottish Government''s website www.scotland.gov.uk/weatherwise which was the main port of call for all communication materials for the public information campaign during the recent severe weather.

The Scottish Government has also provided funding to support the Scottish Flood Forum; a community-based organisation established to support and represent those who are affected by or are at risk of flooding. The forum also works with SEPA to ensure that its work links closely to SEPA''s flood risk awareness raising activities.

SEPA''s Indicative flood risk maps, showing areas at risk from fluvial and coastal flooding are accessible on SEPA''s website http://www.sepa.org.uk/flooding.aspx. We will be funding SEPA to produce a national flood risk assessment from all causes of flooding and improved mapping, under the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009, by December 2011 and December 2013 respectively. Both SEPA''s and our websites contain further information to improve understanding and awareness of flood risk in Scotland.

Insurance against the impact of flooding has been a standard feature of household insurance policies since the early 1960s. Financial services, including insurance, is a reserved matter, with the policy lead lying with HM Treasury. However, in December 2008, the Scottish Government agreed with the Association of British Insurers (ABI) a statement of principles to ensure that the risk from flooding is managed effectively and that flood insurance remains as affordable and widely available as possible so that Scottish consumers continue to be able to protect themselves from the financial cost of flooding. To achieve this, we have agreed to work together with the ABI on implementing a number of measures which include promoting access to insurance for low-income households.

The planning and building standards systems both play important roles in helping to safeguard developments from the consequences of flooding. Scottish Planning Policy requires that if development has to take place in medium to high flood risk areas, for example in an already built up area on the flood plain, developers and planning authorities should take account of the extent to which the development, its materials and construction are designed to be water resistant. The documents that support the Building Regulations and Planning Advice Note 69 provide guidance on suitable materials and water resistant construction methods.

Section 19 of the Allotments (Scotland) Act 1922 defines an allotment garden as an area not exceeding 40 poles which is wholly or mainly cultivated by the occupier for the production of vegetable crops for consumption by himself or his family. Section 6 of the Allotments (Scotland) Act 1892 provides that a local authority may make regulations for the letting of allotments (including the conditions under which allotments are to be cultivated). Section 7 of the act makes provision for the use of allotments (in relation to their size and what may be erected on them).

Section 6 of the Allotments (Scotland) Act 1892 provides that a local authority may make regulations for the letting of allotments, including the conditions under which allotments are to be cultivated. Section 1 of the Allotments (Scotland) Act 1922 provides that if a local authority has made regulations which include conditions under which allotments are to be cultivated, and this is breached by the tenant, the landlord is entitled to terminate the lease.

The Scottish Government has set up a technical working group to assess the extent and impact of collapsed buildings on agricultural and horticultural businesses. The working group will have its first meeting on 28 January 2010 and I look forward to receiving its findings shortly.

It would be for the tenants concerned to seek legal advice based on their own circumstances and to consider, in the light of that, whether there is a case to answer.

I am not aware of any prosecutions under this legislation.