Petitioner: David Crichton
Status:
Closed
Date Lodged:
10 August 2012
Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to represent Scottish interests in the current discussions between Defra and the UK insurance industry.
Summary:
2 October 2012: The Committee took evidence from Professor David Crichton and Adrian Webb, Head of Corporate Communications, esure and Sheilas' Wheels. The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government, the Association of British Insurers, the UK Government, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, COSLA and Homes for Scotland. Link to Official Report 2 October 2012 (436KB pdf)
8 January 2013: The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government. Link to Official Report 8 January 2013 (474KB pdf)
5 March 2013: The Committee agreed to monitor the progress of the delivery of a new commercial licence that would enable data in the Scottish Flood Defence Asset Database to be shared with the insurance industry and to consider the petition further after the Easter recess. Link to Official Report 5 March 2013 (361KB pdf)
16 April 2013: The Committee agreed to continue the petition and write to SEPA requesting an update on the new commercial licence. Link to Official Report 16 April 2013 (472KB pdf)
16 April 2013 (in private): The Committee agreed that PE1441 on flood insurance problems would be the subject of its Chamber debate.
7 May 2013: The Committee held a debate in the Chamber on the subject of the petition. Link to Official Report 7 May 2013 (692KB pdf)
25 June 2013: The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Link to Official Report 25 June 2013 (499KB pdf)
17 September 2013: The Committee agreed to refer the petition, under Rule 15.6.2, to the Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee. Link to Official Report 17 September 2013 (597KB pdf)
30 October 2013: The Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee agreed to close PE01441 and to write to the Minister to ask to keep the Committee updated on flood insurance issues.
Written Submissions:
The petitioner
David Crichton has a number of years experience in the insurance industry, latterly as a consultant advising insurers and governments in four continents. He is a founder member of every Flood Liaison and Advice Group in Scotland. At one time these groups covered 94 per cent of the Scottish population and thanks to support from the Association of British Insurers were instrumental in putting an end to Scottish flood plain development. Now that this policy is embedded in planning strategies there is no longer such a need for FLAGs but many still meet regularly.
Crichton has advised the ABI, the Irish Insurance Federation, OECD, NATO, NOAA, USGS, and the UN. He is the author of 32 published books and 42 academic papers on insurance and climate change. He has been the sole author of the CII Flood Fact File since 2004. This is the most comprehensive and up to date book on UK flood risks, and circulation is limited to CII members. The 21st edition of the Flood Fact File was published in January 2012.
Affiliations include:
• Hon. Visiting Professor, AON Benfield Hazard Research Centre, University College London. This is the leading hazard research centre in Europe, specialising in natural disasters and insurance.
• Hon. Visiting Professor, Middlesex University Flood Hazard Research Centre, London.
• Honorary Research Fellow, University of Dundee, the home of the first UNESCO water research centre in Europe and the British Flood Insurance Claims Database (the biggest such database in the world).
• Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute.
• Chartered Insurance Practitioner.
Please note that this petition reflects the author’s personal views and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Chartered Insurance Institute or any of the above organisations.