Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30519 on 4 November 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

It is the Scottish Government’s understanding that ScotRail has adjusted its proposals to take account of feedback from its previous consultation, including consideration of equalities impact assessments. This is an operational matter for ScotRail as the train operating company and the Member may wish to contact ScotRail directly.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-28572 on 12 August 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-28575 on 12 August 2024 . All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

CalMac Ferries Limited (CFL) do not capture freight carryings by category or by freight item. They only capture the number of Commercial Vehicles carried and the number of Commercial Vehicle lane metres used. A table has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib Number 65382) that provides a breakdown, by individual routes and calendar year from 2021 up until 9 October 2024, detailing the total number of Commercial Vehicles carried and the total number of Commercial Vehicle lane metres used only.

For the last 15 years the Scottish Government has provided Local Authorities with £42m per annum for flood resilience through the general capital grant and we have committed to continue that until 2026. We have also committed an additional £150m over the course of this Parliament to deliver improved flood resilience.

The current distribution agreement is that 80% of available funding is allocated to the remaining schemes on the cycle one programme, and 20% allocated to local authorities to fund other actions within Flood Risk Management Plans.

A joint COSLA/ Scottish Government Flood Risk Management Funding Working Group has been set up to discuss funding and governance of flood resilience actions in Scotland. The group includes representatives from COSLA, SEPA, local authority Directors of Finance and flood officers, and the Scottish Government.

This group has put a series of recommendations to Scottish Ministers and COSLA leaders to improve the affordability of cycle one and will make further recommendations as required.

A Flood Protection Scheme is a major place-based intervention. Local Authorities take the lead on their development and delivery, because they are best placed to understand local needs and opportunities. Like all place-based interventions, the design of a new flood protection scheme should consider how it interacts with, and on, other activities in that place.

The Scottish Government is grateful for all of the detailed work conducted by the Chair and Review Group members to produce this important independent report. We are giving careful consideration to all of the recommendations, including the suggestion of establishing an Economic Democracy Group, and will publish a formal response in due course.

SEPA’s National Flood Risk Assessment (NFRA) underpins the Flood Risk Management Planning process in Scotland. It identifies potentially vulnerable areas (PVAs) where a multiagency approach is likely to be required to address flood risk. This ensures the process is nationally consistent.

The NFRA uses SEPA’s national flood hazard maps which include rivers, the sea and surface water. This flood map data provides quality assured nationally valuable resource in support of strategic flood risk decisions.

SEPA’s maps can be viewed freely from its website and in addition, the full suite of data is shared with partners and other organisations to support their flood risk management and public bodies’ duties.

Once a strategic risk has been identified through the Flood Risk Management Planning process, more detailed work including hydraulic modelling can be undertaken to understand and confirm the risk and potential actions to mitigate it. Local authorities are responsible for developing this detailed modelling for flood protection schemes.

Section 57(2B) of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 provides that once a flood protection scheme is confirmed (whether by the local authority or the Scottish Ministers), the Scottish Ministers are to direct that planning permission for the development is deemed to be granted, subject to any planning conditions which Ministers may specify.

The implementation of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 is primarily a matter for local planning authorities.