21 June 2007

Highlands and Islands Regional Labour MSP, Peter Peacock, yesterday put increasing local flooding problems on the agenda of the Scottish Parliament.

Speaking at the first meeting of the Rural Affairs and Environment Committee he made a bid for a committee inquiry into flooding, as it was a key issue of concern to more and more people affected by climate change.

Peter Peacock said, "I wanted to try and ensure the environment committee would consider examining flooding as one of its key areas of work.

"There is no doubt that we are experiencing significant climate change and one dimension of that is more frequent and severe flooding following the more intense storms and extremely heavy rainfall we are all experiencing.

"The most obvious example of severe disruption has occurred in Elgin in recent years, but Inverness, Caol, parts of east Sutherland and Dingwall have also been badly affected.

"The environment committee has a clear scrutiny role concerning flooding and I was pleased the Committee Convener supported me in raising the issue as one to be looked at.

"Due to river systems being so complex, there are a whole number of dimensions to looking at what more the Executive must do to combat flooding.

"This ranges from climate change reduction measures, river system management and tree planting regimes upstream and in river headwaters, flood prevention and alleviation schemes and the law surrounding them.

"Ditch and gully maintenance by roadsides should also be reviewed.

"We need a comprehensive look at the issues and I hope that when the Committee finally decide their work-programme for the coming year flooding issues will get some close attention, as will the funding of flood prevention measures."

Mr Peacock is also calling on Richard Lochhead to make early progress on the massive Elgin flood prevention scheme.

He said, "Now that the Council has made so much progress in devising the scheme the focus is shifting to the Executive to fully fund it and ensure Elgin is properly protected into the future.

"It is a major challenge for the new Executive and a very expensive scheme, but there is no doubt it needs to get the go ahead just as quickly as is humanly possible."