UK Government reallocates £60m for Scotland's flood response after Storm Babet

The UK Government has reallocated £60m of funding to support Scotland’s flood responses in the wake of Storm Babet.

The Treasury said capital funding would be switched to resource funding to allow the Scottish Government to use the cash for flood-hit areas.

The decision does not represent new funding and UK officials said the Scottish Government can use the money for other areas as it sees fit.

Scottish secretary Alister Jack said: “Responding to flooding is a devolved responsibility and the Scottish Government allocates its own resources and finances in this area.

“The switch of this £60m could help provide certainty and reassurance to those in flood-affected areas across Scotland while giving added flexibility to the Scottish Government.”

The havoc wreaked by Storm Babet prompted calls for improved flood defences and responses after seven people died and hundreds lost their homes.

The storm caused disruption across the UK, with Brechin in Angus bearing the brunt of the flooding after dozens of families were forced to leave their houses.

Storm Babet claimed the lives of seven people in Britain, including three in Scotland.

During a visit to Brechin in the aftermath of the storm, Yousaf pledged to provide the necessary support to councils in order to help those impacted.

He said it would be a “long road to recovery” but added that the Scottish Government will offer “support as much as we can”.

Net Zero Secretary Mairi McAllan said: “The Scottish Government welcomes any support to help communities affected by flooding, and we are pleased that the UK Government has met our request for greater financial flexibility.

“However, as the UK Government has made clear, this £60 million is not new money, but money that we have already allocated to other commitments.

“We will continue to work with the impacted communities to assess how the Scottish Government can best support recovery efforts.

“The Scottish Government has already provided £150m, on top of our long-standing £42m annual funding, for flood risk management, in addition to £12m for coastal change adaptation over the course of this parliament.

“Next year, we will publish Scotland’s first National Flood Resilience Strategy, which will capture the issues that need to be addressed as we transition towards a sustainable level of flood resilience in our changing climate.”