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Nanette: Time for SNP to deliver on flood funding

Nanette Milne, 04/11/2010

Milne: Time for SNP to deliver on flood funding

Speaking a year on from the flooding which hit Huntly and having received Richard Lochhead and Roseanna Cunningham’s letter asking MSPs to advise their constituents to prepare and protect themselves from flooding this winter, Nanette Milne Conservative MSP for the North East has called on the SNP Scottish Government to deliver the flood funding needed by Aberdeenshire Council.

Nanette Milne MSP has been leading calls for the North East to be made a Flooding Priority area following the substantial flooding which has affected communities across the North East.

Nanette Milne Conservative MSP for the North East said:

“A year following the flooding which hit Huntly and Stonehaven these communities are still waiting for the SNP Scottish Government to deliver the funding needed by Aberdeenshire Council to take forward flood prevention and protection measures.

“The flooding which has hit communities across the North East has devastated many homes and businesses and has once again put flooding back at the top of the agenda.

“Local residents want to see action taken by the Scottish Government to help improve the local flood defence infrastructure. I want to see the North East made a Flooding Priority area and action taken to secure against future flooding problems.

“The letter sent to MSPs seems to be an admission of defeat from the Scottish Government that they have not set enough money aside to deal with potential flooding problem in Scotland this winter.

“It is both unrealistic and insulting to invite home owners and businesses “to protect themselves” because ‘the current state of public finances means the availability of funding for large scale capital projects is much tighter than it has ever been’

“It is important to note that the budget available to the Scottish Government this year is much larger than it was in 2008 when the Government were able, during the passage of the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act, to give assurances that there was adequate funding available to carry out all flood prevention and mitigation work.

“The Government now appears to have changed its priorities by reneging on its previous commitments and responsibilities by inviting citizens to take “personal responsibility for taking steps to protect their own homes from flooding this winter”, and this will come as a shock to many householders who previously believed this to be the Government’s responsibility.”

 
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