Session 2013 - 14
Internet Publications
Other Bills before Parliament


 
 

225

 

House of Commons

 
 

Thursday 12 December 2013

 

Public Bill Committee

 

New Amendments handed in are marked thus Parliamentary Star

 

Parliamentary Star - whiteAmendments which will comply with the required notice period at their next appearance

 

Water Bill


 

Note

 

The Amendments have been arranged in accordance with the Order of the

 

Committee [3 December 2013].

 


 

Dan Rogerson

 

1

 

Page  89,  line  3,  leave out Clause 47.

 


 

Hywel Williams

 

197

 

Clause  49,  page  90,  line  3,  leave out ‘is wholly or mainly in’ and insert ‘includes

 

part or all of’.

 


 

Hywel Williams

 

204

 

Schedule  9,  page  172,  line  17,  leave out ‘is wholly or mainly in’ and insert

 

‘includes part or all of’.

 

Hywel Williams

 

205

 

Schedule  9,  page  172,  line  25,  leave out ‘is wholly or mainly in’ and insert

 

‘includes part or all of’.


 
 

Public Bill Committee: 12 December 2013                  

226

 

Water Bill, continued

 
 

Hywel Williams

 

206

 

Schedule  9,  page  172,  line  35,  leave out ‘is wholly or mainly in’ and insert

 

‘includes part or all of’.

 

Hywel Williams

 

207

 

Schedule  9,  page  173,  line  5,  leave out ‘is wholly or mainly in’ and insert ‘includes

 

part or all of’.

 

Hywel Williams

 

208

 

Schedule  9,  page  173,  line  13,  leave out ‘is wholly or mainly in’ and insert

 

‘includes part or all of’.

 

Hywel Williams

 

209

 

Schedule  9,  page  173,  line  22,  leave out ‘is wholly or mainly in’ and insert

 

‘includes part or all of’.

 

Hywel Williams

 

210

 

Schedule  9,  page  173,  line  31,  leave out ‘is wholly or mainly in’ and insert

 

‘includes part or all of’.

 

Hywel Williams

 

190

 

Schedule  9,  page  177,  line  6,  leave out ‘is wholly or mainly in’ and insert ‘includes

 

part or all of’.

 


 

Dan Rogerson

 

147

 

Clause  53,  page  91,  line  5,  at end insert—

 

‘(2)    

Subsection (1) does not apply if or to the extent that subsection (3) or (4) applies.

 

(3)    

If a provision of this Act is brought into force to any extent by the Welsh

 

Ministers acting alone under section 56(3), the Welsh Ministers may by order

 

made by statutory instrument make such transitional, transitory or saving

 

provision as the Welsh Ministers consider appropriate in connection with the

 

coming into force of so much of that provision as is so brought into force.

 

(4)    

If a provision of this Act is brought into force to any extent by the Secretary of

 

State and the Welsh Ministers acting jointly under section 56(3), the Secretary of

 

State and the Welsh Ministers may, acting jointly, by order made by statutory

 

instrument make such transitional, transitory or saving provision as they,

 

together, consider appropriate in connection with the coming into force of so

 

much of that provision as is so brought into force.’.

 



 
 

Public Bill Committee: 12 December 2013                  

227

 

Water Bill, continued

 
 

Dan Rogerson

 

2

 

Clause  56,  page  91,  line  22,  at end insert—

 

‘(za)    

section (Disclosure of information: preparatory purposes);’.

 

Dan Rogerson

 

148

 

Clause  56,  page  91,  line  28,  at end insert—

 

‘(aa)    

section 13;’.

 

Dan Rogerson

 

149

 

Clause  56,  page  91,  line  28,  at end insert—

 

‘(ab)    

section 15;’.

 

Dan Rogerson

 

150

 

Clause  56,  page  91,  line  28,  at end insert—

 

‘(ac)    

section 21;’.

 

Dan Rogerson

 

151

 

Clause  56,  page  91,  line  29,  at end insert ‘, so far as relating to water undertakers

 

whose areas are wholly or mainly in England;’.

 

Dan Rogerson

 

152

 

Clause  56,  page  91,  line  29,  at end insert—

 

‘(ba)    

section 25(3);’.

 

Dan Rogerson

 

153

 

Clause  56,  page  91,  line  29,  at end insert—

 

‘(bb)    

sections 26 to 28;’.

 

Dan Rogerson

 

154

 

Clause  56,  page  91,  line  30,  at end insert—

 

‘(ca)    

section 32(1) and (2);’.

 

Dan Rogerson

 

155

 

Clause  56,  page  91,  line  30,  at end insert—

 

‘(cb)    

sections 33 and 34;’.

 

Dan Rogerson

 

156

 

Clause  56,  page  91,  line  31,  at end insert—

 

‘(da)    

section 43;’.


 
 

Public Bill Committee: 12 December 2013                  

228

 

Water Bill, continued

 
 

Dan Rogerson

 

157

 

Clause  56,  page  91,  line  31,  at end insert—

 

‘(db)    

sections 44 and 45 and Schedule 8;’.

 

Dan Rogerson

 

158

 

Clause  56,  page  91,  line  31,  at end insert—

 

‘(dc)    

section 46;’.

 

Dan Rogerson

 

159

 

Clause  56,  page  91,  line  31,  at end insert—

 

‘(dd)    

sections 48 to 50;’.

 

Dan Rogerson

 

160

 

Clause  56,  page  91,  line  31,  at end insert—

 

‘(de)    

section 51 and Schedule 10;’.

 

Dan Rogerson

 

161

 

Clause  56,  page  91,  line  36,  leave out subsections (3) to (7) and insert—

 

‘(3)    

The remaining provisions of this Act come into force on such day as the

 

appropriate authority may by order appoint.

 

(4)    

Different days may be appointed for different purposes.

 

(5)    

Except as stated in the table in Schedule (Commencement orders: appropriate

 

authority), the appropriate authority for the purposes of subsection (3) is the

 

Secretary of State.’.

 


 

New Clauses

 

The Flood Reinsurance Scheme

 

Dan Rogerson

 

NC1

 

To move the following Clause:—

 

‘(1)    

For the purposes of this Part, the Flood Reinsurance Scheme is a scheme which—

 

(a)    

is established for the purpose mentioned in subsection (2), and

 

(b)    

is designated for the purposes of this Part by regulations made by the

 

Secretary of State.

5

(2)    

The purpose referred to in subsection (1)(a) is the purpose of providing

 

reinsurance to relevant insurers in respect of such risks relating to flooding as are

 

identified by the scheme, in such a way as to—

 

(a)    

promote the availability and affordability of flood insurance for

 

household premises while minimising the costs of doing so, and


 
 

Public Bill Committee: 12 December 2013                  

229

 

Water Bill, continued

 

10

(b)    

manage, over the period of operation of the scheme, the transition to risk-

 

reflective pricing of flood insurance for household premises.

 

(3)    

Subsection (5) applies where the terms of the FR Scheme governing the

 

availability of reinsurance under the FR Scheme for an insurance policy include

 

a requirement as mentioned in subsection (4).

15

(4)    

The requirement is that the part of the premium for the policy which is

 

attributable to risks relating to flooding does not exceed a specified amount (“the

 

eligibility threshold”).

 

(5)    

The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision as to the level of the

 

eligibility threshold, and may make different provision for different purposes.

20

(6)    

Regulations under subsection (5) may, in particular, make different provision for

 

different insurance policies by reference to the value of the household premises

 

to which a policy relates.

 

(7)    

In this Part, the Flood Reinsurance Scheme is called “the FR Scheme”.’.

 

As an Amendment to Dan Rogerson’s proposed New Clause (The Flood Reinsurance

 

Scheme) (NC1):—

 

Thomas Docherty

 

(a)

 

Line  23,  at end add—

 

‘(8)    

Prior to making any regulations under subsection (5) the Secretary of State shall

 

require the Committee on Climate Change to provide current and projected

 

estimates of the number of properties that would be eligible for—

 

(a)    

inclusion in the Flood Reinsurance Scheme;

 

(b)    

the value of levy required under section [Scheme funding]; and

 

(c)    

the likelihood of additional levy or contributions being needed from time

 

to time.’.

 


 

Scheme administrator

 

Dan Rogerson

 

NC2

 

To move the following Clause:—

 

‘(1)    

The FR Scheme is to be administered by a body designated by regulations made

 

by the Secretary of State.

 

(2)    

The Secretary of State may under subsection (1) designate a company registered

 

under the Companies Act 2006 or a body of another kind.

 

(3)    

In this Part, the body designated under subsection (1) is called “the FR Scheme

 

administrator”.’.

 



 
 

Public Bill Committee: 12 December 2013                  

230

 

Water Bill, continued

 
 

Scheme funding

 

Dan Rogerson

 

NC3

 

To move the following Clause:—

 

‘(1)    

The Secretary of State may, with the consent of the Treasury, make regulations

 

requiring relevant insurers to pay to the FR Scheme administrator—

 

(a)    

a levy, the amount and timing of which is to be determined in accordance

 

with the regulations;

 

(b)    

such further amounts, by way of levy or contribution, as may be

 

requested by the FR Scheme administrator from time to time in

 

accordance with the FR Scheme.

 

(2)    

Regulations under subsection (1) may make provision as to—

 

(a)    

the circumstances in which a request under subsection (1)(b) may be

 

made;

 

(b)    

the amounts that may be requested under subsection (1)(b).

 

(3)    

The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision for amounts payable

 

under subsection (1) to be recoverable summarily (or in Scotland recoverable) as

 

a civil debt.

 

(4)    

The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision as to the application of

 

any amounts paid under subsection (1).

 

(5)    

The Secretary of State may by regulations provide that, where such conditions as

 

are specified in the regulations as regards the reserves of the FR Scheme are

 

satisfied, the FR Scheme administrator must pay to the Secretary of State an

 

amount of the reserves to be determined in accordance with the regulations.

 

(6)    

Regulations under subsection (5) may—

 

(a)    

define “reserves”;

 

(b)    

make provision about determining the amount of the reserves of the FR

 

Scheme.

 

(7)    

Before making regulations under subsection (5), the Secretary of State must

 

consult the Prudential Regulation Authority.’.

 


 

Scheme administration

 

Dan Rogerson

 

NC4

 

To move the following Clause:—

 

‘(1)    

The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision in connection with the

 

administration of the FR Scheme.

 

(2)    

Regulations under subsection (1) may require the FR Scheme administrator to

 

have regard to the following in discharging its functions—

 

(a)    

the need to ensure economy, efficiency and effectiveness in the discharge

 

of those functions,

 

(b)    

the need to act in the public interest,

 

(c)    

the need to ensure propriety and regularity in the operation of the FR

 

Scheme, and


 
 

Public Bill Committee: 12 December 2013                  

231

 

Water Bill, continued

 
 

(d)    

the need to manage, over the period of operation of the FR Scheme, the

 

transition to risk-reflective pricing of flood insurance for household

 

premises.

 

(3)    

Regulations under subsection (1) may require the FR Scheme administrator to

 

produce and publish, in accordance with the regulations, a plan for achieving the

 

transition mentioned in subsection (2)(d).

 

(4)    

Regulations under subsection (1) may—

 

(a)    

limit, to any extent, the power of the FR Scheme administrator to borrow

 

money or otherwise incur debt;

 

(b)    

make provision about the reserves of the FR Scheme, including

 

limitations on draw downs and transfers;

 

(c)    

require the FR Scheme administrator to take steps to limit the overall net

 

losses that may be incurred by the FR Scheme in any year to an amount

 

specified in or determined in accordance with the regulations;

 

(d)    

provide for the form and contents of the FR Scheme’s accounts;

 

(e)    

provide for a copy of the audited FR Scheme’s accounts and a copy of the

 

auditor’s report on those accounts to be laid before Parliament;

 

(f)    

provide for the Comptroller and Auditor General to examine—

 

(i)    

the economy, efficiency and effectiveness with which the FR

 

Scheme administrator has used resources in discharging its

 

functions, or

 

(ii)    

the propriety and regularity in the operation of the FR Scheme,

 

    

and for a report on any such examination to be laid before Parliament;

 

(g)    

provide that for the purposes of an examination under paragraph (f)—

 

(i)    

the Comptroller and Auditor General is to have a right of access

 

at all reasonable times to any of the documents relating to the FR

 

Scheme, and

 

(ii)    

a person who holds or has control of any of those documents is

 

to give the Comptroller and Auditor General any assistance,

 

information or explanation which the Comptroller and Auditor

 

General requires in relation to any of those documents.

 

(5)    

Regulations under subsection (1) may—

 

(a)    

require the FR Scheme administrator to designate an individual of a

 

description specified in the regulations as the responsible officer of the

 

FR Scheme;

 

(b)    

provide for the responsible officer to have such responsibilities in respect

 

of—

 

(i)    

the FR Scheme’s finances,

 

(ii)    

the FR Scheme’s accounts,

 

(iii)    

accountability to Parliament for the economy, efficiency and

 

effectiveness with which the FR Scheme uses resources in

 

discharging its functions;

 

(iv)    

accountability to Parliament for propriety and regularity in the

 

operation of the FR Scheme, and

 

(v)    

examinations and reports under subsection (4)(f),

 

    

as are specified in the regulations.

 

(6)    

Regulations under subsection (1) may make provision about the disclosure of

 

information required for the purposes of the FR Scheme and may, in particular—

 

(a)    

as regards information which is held for council tax purposes by the

 

Valuation Office of Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, make

 

provision—


 
contents continue
 

© Parliamentary copyright
Revised 12 December 2013