Government response
Introduction
The Government welcomes this report. It has raised
awareness of the need to carefully plan for the effects of climate
change on future water supplies and flooding. These have become
becoming increasingly important issues and the report highlights
the importance of global action in order to tackle climate change,
the need for more challenging water efficiency requirements for
new houses and the need to plan for long term flood risk. The
Government shares the Committee's concern about the distress sewer
flooding causes to those affected and attaches a high priority
to its reduction.
Addressing the causes of climate change
Recommendation 1
Some degree of climate change is inevitable. However,
concerted global action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions could
curb climate change and limit the consequent increased flood risk.
It is imperative that the Government continues to put every effort
into achieving global action to address the causes of climate
change. (Paragraph 5)
The Government recognises the need for action on
a national, regional and international basis to tackle climate
change. Climate change has been identified as one of the key priorities
for the UK's presidencies of both the G8 and EU in 2005.
With the entry into force of the Protocol, the EU
and others can start to demonstrate the economic and technological
as well as environmental benefits of early action on climate change.
Combined with continued efforts to collaborate at US State level
(where much of the innovative work is being done), and through
non-governmental groups and businesses, this may lead to re-engagement
of the US in the longer term. We believe there are already a number
of areas for fruitful exchange with the US such as sharing our
experience on the early action that business can take; showing
that action to tackle climate change need not be costly and may
actually enhance competitiveness; and, exchanging views on technological
development and climate change science. We remain hopeful that
the US will re-engage with the more binding targets set by the
international climate change process in the future, and that we
can continue to build on common ground through the G8 process.
Under the UK Climate Change Programme, the Government
has introduced a comprehensive set of policies and measures to
reduce emissions of greenhouse gases across all sectors of the
economy in order to ensure the UK meets its Kyoto Protocol target
of reducing emissions by 12.5% below 1990 levels by the period
2008-2012. These include the climate change levy package, targets
to provide 10 per cent of the UK's electricity from renewable
sources of energy by 2010 and at least double the capacity of
combined heat and power by 2010, measures to improve energy efficiency
in the domestic sector and European Union voluntary agreements
with car manufacturers to improve fuel efficiency.
On 15 September 2004, Defra announced the Terms of
Reference for a review of the UK Climate Change Programme,[1]
with a formal consultation exercise to follow later this Autumn
and the publication of a revised programme in the first half of
2005.
Recommendation 2
We strongly support the world class climate research
being conducted by the Met Office and many other organisations
and individuals in the United Kingdom. It is clear that a great
deal of further research is necessary and we urge the Government
to support such work. We recommend that, in addition to scientific
publications, the Government and climate change scientists publish
regular reports that aim to further public understanding of climate
change and its impacts. (Paragraph 9)
Government continues to support climate change research.
The Government is funding a research project to assess the impact
of climate change on the management of water resource zones, and
existing water infrastructure. The project will provide an improved
understanding of the potential impacts and adaptation strategies
related to climate change and water resources and develop practical
guidance on how to manage water resources in a changing climate.
The project is part of a broader cross-regional research programme
aiming to assess the impacts of climate change on different regions
of the UK.
In 2003, Defra published its science and innovation
strategy covering the period from 2003-2006, which identified
research needs on climate change. Defra is also currently consulting
on its science forward look report "Evidence and innovation:
Defra's needs from the sciences over the next 10 years",
which sets out the Department's views of the increasingly prominent
role of climate change science over this period. The Science and
Innovation Framework for 2004 -2014, published in July, set out
the Government's ambition for UK science and innovation over the
next decade. Sustainable earth systems (including issues of climate
change) and sustainable energy are two key themes. The Office
of Science & Technology will review Departmental Science and
Innovation Plans for their quality and effectiveness following
the spending round negotiations and assess the extent to which
these align to wider Government priorities.
Defra publishes an annual report summarising all
current climate change scientific research projects and recent
findings. The full-length version is available only on the Defra
website; hard copies of the summary are sent to all parties known
to be interested in our research programme.
Defra strongly encourages its contractors to disseminate
as widely as possible the findings of the research we commission.
Indeed, they are contractually obliged, and paid, to do so. For
instance, the Hadley Centre produces annually a booklet for distribution
at the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change. This is given out to conference
delegates and supports a presentation by Hadley Centre scientists
at the Conference.
The Defra-funded UK Climate Impacts Programme produces
publications targeted specifically towards its stakeholder audience.
While the remit of this programme does not extend explicitly to
cover the general public, a number of publications have found
a particularly high take-up, and the programme-office staff respond
regularly to enquiries from the public and from national and regional
news and information media.
Particularly note-worthy findings are brought to
the attention of the general public through the press, using press
notices or press briefings. Also our contractors frequently appear
on radio or television in both news and documentary programmes.
Alongside the Prime Minister's 14 September 2004
speech on climate change, Defra published a paper on its website
reviewing the evidence for climate change, its human causes, projections
for future climate change, its likely impacts and related adaptation
issues, and the scientific issues surrounding stabilisation of
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. General information about
the science of climate change, in non-technical language, is also
available through the Defra website.
Water availability
Recommendation 3
There is a pressing need for wider public understanding
of the way that climate change may affect water use. We recommend
that water companies, Government and the Environment Agency take
the lead in raising awareness about the value of water and the
potential for water scarcity if it is not managed wisely. The
current price review round offers a good opportunity to inform
the public about these issues. (Paragraph 13)
The Government agrees with the recommendation that
there should be greater awareness and understanding of the way
that climate change affects water. As part of the current Periodic
Review of Water Price Limits,[2]
the Government took the opportunity to raise awareness of climate
change effects on water resources by asking water companies to
include assessments of the effects it would have in their water
resources plans. The Government is pleased that in response to
its guidance, nearly all companies made an estimate of the impact
of climate change and factored this into future supply provisions.
However, plans will need to be updated as our understanding of
climate change develops.
Improving awareness about water efficiency now will
help to mitigate the future effects of climate change. Since 1996
all water companies have been under a legal duty to promote the
efficient use of water by their customers. In fulfilment of this
duty they provide a range of advice and assistance to help their
customers use water wisely, including educational programmes for
schools. Changes brought about by the Water Act 2003 will lead
to further water efficiency activity by water companies.
Additionally, the Water Act 2003 placed water conservation
duties on water companies, Defra and the National Assembly for
Wales and public bodies, as well as a new duty on the Environment
Agency to secure the efficient use of water resources. The implementation
of these duties will help to increase awareness about the value
of water, water efficiency and the effects of climate change on
water.
The Environment Agency, through its Water Demand
Management team, currently carries out a wide range of activities
to improve public awareness of water efficiency. These have included
poster and radio campaigns, producing and disseminating literature
and advice, and the Water Efficiency Awards.
Recommendation 4
The present system of charging people for water
on the basis of the old rateable value of the property they live
in is outdated. Over time, we must move towards more rational
use of water: linking the cost to the amount used is an important
step towards this goal. At the same time, it is important that
everyone is able to afford enough water to meet their basic needs.
The Government should produce a report evaluating alternative
water pricing mechanisms that relate the costs of usage more directly
to the consumer. A cost-benefit study of metering should form
part of the report. At the same time, the Government should consider
carefully the impact of such proposals in order to protect vulnerable
people from water poverty. (Paragraph 20)
The Government last reviewed the system of charging
for water in a series of papers published in 1998-99. This review
considered and consulted on issues including alternative methods
of unmeasured charging, metering and the protection of vulnerable
customers, and included published modelling of the effects of
potential policies on customers' bills.[3]
The outcome was the Water Industry Act 1999, which introduced
new measures including the statutory free meter option, the right
to remain on an unmeasured charge and the Vulnerable Groups regulations.
The Government agrees that metering, with carefully
designed tariffs, is the long-term answer as a method of water
charging. The policies put in place in 1999 have allowed the continued
growth of household metering, with the benefits recognised by
the Committee, while retaining some customer choice and protecting
those most vulnerable to the effects of metered charging. It is
true that former rateable values are outdated and result in some
anomalies. However, household customers who find rateable value
based charges unfair have the option of switching to a metered
charge. The Government remains open to proposals for alternative
bases of unmeasured charges for the reducing (though still substantial)
number of households who remain unmetered, but any proposals must
address the issues of transition and the problems which could
be faced by those who would have to pay more, especially among
those least able to pay. So far no satisfactory alternative has
been put forward.
The Government is reviewing the existing ways in
which lower income households are helped with their water and
sewerage charges. The results of that review will be published
later this year.
Recommendation 5
We recommend that, with the Office of the Deputy
Prime Minister, Defra develop specific proposals to develop and
promote products and services that increase household water efficiency.
In particular, we recommend that the Government examine ways,
including the role of local authority powers, of facilitating
the use of rainwater and grey water for non-potable purposes.
(Paragraph 22)
The Government recognises the importance of improving
household water efficiency in the face of increasing pressure
on resources from factors such as new housing development, the
trend towards lower household occupancy and greater affluence,
as well as climate change.
In recent years there have been a number of improvements
in the water efficiency of some domestic products. The Water Supply
(Water Fittings) Regulations were introduced in 1999 and set the
maximum consumption for certain water fittings. For example, the
Regulations reduced the maximum permissible flush volume of toilets
by 25 per cent (to 6 litres) and permit more efficient dual-flush
models. The EU Energy Labelling scheme has also played a part
in reducing the water consumed by domestic washing machines and
dishwashers by requiring manufacturers to provide information
to consumers about the water consumed by these appliances on the
EU Energy Label. As well as enabling consumers to make an informed
choice about the appliances they purchase by identifying efficient
appliances this also encourages manufacturers to consider water
consumption as part of their design process.
These measures are driving progress in the right
direction, but there remains more that can be done to facilitate
greater household water efficiency. Water metering and tariffs
have a role to play, within the existing regulatory framework,
and are expected to make a more significant contribution to demand
management as the proportion of households on a metered supply
increases. The Government's Market Transformation Programme is
defining performance standards and benchmarks for a range of water
using products, which will inform the consideration of new regulatory
requirements and the feasibility of introducing a labelling scheme
to promote the most efficient products. The Environment Agency
has also initiated a feasibility study into a water saving trust,
and will report its conclusions by the end of January 2005. This
will review existing water efficiency activity and develop possible
models for the operation and funding of such a trust.
Rainwater harvesting and greywater systems offer
considerable potential to reduce demand on mains water, although
there remain issues around their acceptability in terms of maintenance,
water quality and cost. The current review of Part G of the Building
Regulations will consider whether it is appropriate to place requirements
for these systems in legislation. In its response to the report
of the Sustainable Buildings Task Group in May 2004, the Government
undertook to develop a Code for Sustainable Buildings. This will
set best practice standards for energy, water, waste and other
environmental issues, which go beyond the minimum standards in
Building Regulations. The Code is currently being developed in
consultation with industry and, subject to a Regulatory Impact
Assessment and demonstrations in the Thames Gateway is due to
be complete by the end of 2005, with national rollout in early
2006.
Recommendation 6
Housing developments built now will be in place
for up to 100 years: it would be foolish to plan them in the future
without an eye to their future water security. Planning guidance
to local authorities should require that water availability be
taken into consideration. We recommend that building regulations
require greater water efficiency and that the Government consider
ways to encourage manufacturers of domestic water-using appliances
to develop more water efficient designs. (Paragraph 23)
The Government considers it essential that new development
is designed and built to make the best use of existing water resources.
The extent to which additional resources will be needed in future
will be influenced by customer demand for water. The recommendations
of the Sustainable Buildings Task Group included a range of measures
to improve the water efficiency of new and existing buildings,
including tightening regulations on water fittings and introducing
a Code for Sustainable Buildings, which the Government is actively
taking forward.
Defra liaises closely with ODPM on the development
of planning guidance, for example to ensure that it addresses
water resource and availability issues. In that context it is
also essential that regional and local planners engage early with
the Environment Agency and water companies to ensure that development
plans are factored into companies' 25 year water resource plans.
The whole issue of natural resource protection, including
water supply will be dealt with in the review of PPG 1 on General
Policy and Principles.[4]
ODPM has recently published The Planning Response to Climate
Change: Advice on Better Practice,[5]
which states:
Planning authorities need to take water resources
and quality seriously as a material consideration in their development
plan or framework and development control decisions.
Planning Policy Statement 11 (Regional Spatial
Strategies) and Planning Policy Statement 12 (Local Development
Frameworks) were published in September. These documents concentrate
on the process of drawing up the new forms of regional and local
plan, but policy-orientated annexes highlight water supply as
an issue authorities must have regard to when drawing up plans.
Both Regional Spatial Strategies and Local Development Frameworks
will also be subject to a mandatory Sustainability Appraisal (which
will include a Strategic Environmental Assessment) that involves
assessing water issues. Guidance on conducting a Sustainability
Appraisal is currently out for public consultation.
The Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999
set the maximum water consumption for certain water fittings.
Under the Building Regulations appliances that use water are dealt
with in Part G, Hygiene. The regulatory provision and the technical
guidance, the Approved Document, relating to Part G are currently
under review. The scope of this review has been expanded to consider
the more efficient use of water by fittings including toilets,
taps and showers, as well as methods of collecting and distributing
non-potable water.
Some manufacturers already design and market their
products on the basis of water efficiency. This is something the
Government would like to see more widely replicated. The Market
Transformation Programme is facilitating the identification and
ranking of water efficient products, which will be used to inform
consumer choice and future policy, and so should also act as a
spur to manufacturers to develop more water efficient products.
Recommendation 7
Water companies need to do more to reduce leakage.
We are particularly disappointed with Thames Water's leakage record
and would expect it to improve before the next price review. The
first step all companies should take is to make best use of existing
resources. (Paragraph 27)
The 'twin-track' approach to water resources management
requires water companies to consider demand management alongside
resource development to achieve a sustainable balance between
supply and demand for water. In guidance to the Director General
of Water Services, as part of the periodic review, the Government
stated that:
Only where a demand management approach [including
leakage control] was clearly insufficient or unjustified in terms
of cost should they look to the development of new resources.
The water industry has made considerable progress
in reducing leakage from its supply network since the Water Summit
in 1997, such that the majority of water companies are now at
their Economic Level of Leakage. This is the level at which it
would cost more to make further reductions than to produce the
water from another source. Ofwat sets companies annual leakage
targets with the aim of reducing leakage to its economic level,
where this has not already been achieved, and then maintaining
it at that level. The Government expects companies to continue
to manage leakage within Ofwat's economic framework and to exploit
opportunities to reduce leakage further as they arise. The Economic
Level of Leakage is dynamic and will change over time, which is
expected to facilitate further reductions. For example, factors
such as new leak detection and repair technologies, improved management
practices, as well as increased pressure on water resources will
all change the economics of leakage control. While there is technically
scope to reduce leakage below its economic level this would incur
additional costs on water customers that would require justification.
The Government expects water companies to establish and manage
leakage within the economic level established at a resource zone
level rather than company-wide basis. This should permit further
improvement of leakage performance within the existing economic
framework.
The performance of Thames Water on leakage has been
a matter of concern for a number of years. In 2001 Ofwat suspended
the company's leakage target in favour of an action plan to improve
its leakage monitoring and control activities. Leakage reduction
targets for the three areas of Thames' operation were re-imposed
in 2003, which, if met, would bring leakage to its economic level
by 2006-07. Defra have requested Thames Water to provide them
with quarterly reports on their supply-demand balance. There is
evidence that the company is now making some progress towards
its targets, but its North London area remains a particular problem.
In its draft determination for the periodic review Ofwat allocated
Thames Water funding for a substantial programme of mains replacement
and water resource enhancements to improve security of supply.
In addition to these longer-term measures, Government expects
Thames Water to take all necessary steps now to reduce leakage
in line with Ofwat's targets.
Recommendation 8
Reservoirs should not be seen as an alternative
to demand management measures. Nevertheless, it seems likely that
some new capacity will be necessary. Water companies, the Environment
Agency and environmental groups should engage in an open and frank
discussion of the environmental and economic consequences of providing
greater reservoir capacity. (Paragraph 31)
The Government agrees that demand management has
a crucial role to play and advocates a twin track approach of
managing water demand and developing sustainable new resources
where needed.
In their water resources plans, which form part of
their overall business plans under the periodic review, most water
companies have forecast an increase in household demand for water
over the next 25 years. This in turn has led them to predict the
need for the development of new resources including reservoirs
and de-salination plants. As the Government made clear in the
Final Guidance on the periodic review, it wants to see demand
management measures making a greater contribution to meeting the
supply-demand balance, alongside the development of new resources.
The new reservoir building programme proposed by
water companies in the periodic review will be subject to public
scrutiny and debate via the planning process. Any planning inquiries
will need to assess the necessity of the planned resource and
the environmental and economic effects. Stakeholders such as environmental
groups will be able to make their contribution to the arguments
at that stage.
However, the Government recognises that there needs
to be debate on such important matters before the planning inquiry
stage. The next set of water resources plans, which will inform
the periodic review in 2009, will become subject to more public
scrutiny. Under the provisions of the Water Act 2003, draft water
resources plans will be consulted upon and may be the subject
of public hearings.
Flooding
Recommendation 9
We warmly welcome the Foresight report's approach
to examining long term flood risk and congratulate those involved
on their work. It is now up to the Government to take this work
forward and ensure that it is well prepared for the increased
flood risk that climate change is likely to bring about. We recommend
that the Government publish a white paper that offers a candid
assessment of the implications of the Foresight report for flood
protection and planning. It should contain a clear statement of
the Government's strategy for dealing with increased flood risk
and of the resources needed to implement that strategy. Defra
should ensure that the scenarios on which the Foresight report
is based are updated periodically. (Paragraph 34)
The Government also welcomes the Foresight Future
Flooding report,[6]
which considers the likely changes to flood risk over the next
century. An Action Plan which explains how Government will take
forward the findings of the report was published in April 2004.
Moreover, Defra launched the Making space for water consultation
exercise in July 2004,[7]
which seeks views on proposals for a new long term Government
Strategy for flood and coastal erosion risk management in England.
We intend that the new Strategy will address the messages in the
Foresight report and reflect lessons learned from the flood events
in the recent past. It will shape the direction of flood and coastal
erosion risk management over the next 20 years, with commitments
for regular review. In particular it will address the challenges
and pressures we are facing from factors such as climate change,
development pressures and rising levels of risk and cost. It will
build on existing work to incorporate the principles of sustainable
development and to reflect the Government's other priorities,
taking an integrated and holistic approach to looking at all flood
and coastal erosion risks.
Following the end of the consultation period on 1
November 2004, we shall be considering the responses carefully
in working towards developing the final Strategy, which we hope
to publish in Spring 2005. As explained in the Future Flooding
Action Plan, the Strategy will therefore be a key part of
the response to the Foresight report and the Government do not
consider at this stage that a White Paper is required on the subject.
We will, however, continue to ensure that the Foresight report
is considered in our future long term planning and that the scenarios
in the report are updated as and when required.
Recommendation 10
The Foresight report on future flooding has alerted
us to the possible magnitude of future flood risk. In its response
to this Report, the Government should tell us how and when it
will decide what further flood protection is needed. It should
also tell us how it is preparing for the upgrading and eventual
replacement of the Thames barrier. (Paragraph 37)
The Government recognises the need to take forward
both the collection of flood risk data and its analysis. Major
strides have been made in recent years. We have commissioned and
published reports including the National Appraisal of Assets
at Risk (NAAR), and the National Appraisal of Defence Needs
and Costs (NADNAC) which are available on the Defra website.[8]
The 'high level methodology' for national flood risk
assessments, used in both the NADNAC and Foresight studies, as
well as the Environment Agency's National Flood Risk Assessments
(NFRA), was developed in the joint Defra/Environment Agency R&D
programme. The NAAR report provided an understanding of flood
risk on a national scale and considered how investment requirements
might be influenced by climate change. NADNAC built on this and
considered investment needs over a fifteen year period from the
year 2000. Both reports informed spending reviews as well as providing
information to enable better management of flood and coastal erosion
risk. The 2004 NFRA used an improved high level methodology incorporating
newly available datasets to provide a more accurate assessment
of flood risk. The Making space for water consultation
exercise seeks views on proposals to move over time to a strengthened,
more consistent risk-based framework which takes account of a
wider range of economic, environmental and social costs and benefits
when deciding what flood and coastal erosion risk management measures
are needed. The outcome of this consultation exercise, together
with the results and other research and analysis, will help formulate
the new Government strategy, which will provide further details
of how we will assess and manage risks in the future.
In terms of identifying areas at risk of flooding,
the Environment Agency published a new Flood Map on 7 October
2004. This map is more sophisticated than the earlier generation
of indicative flood plain maps and includes data from the 2004
NFRA, showing the likelihood of flooding (as significant, moderate
or low) taking into account the location, type and condition of
defences.
The future of flood risk management on the Thames
estuary, including the future of the Thames Barrier, is currently
being considered by an Environment Agency led review entitled
Thames Estuary 2100. The initial report of this Group is expected
in 2007. The Barrier was designed in the 1970s with conservative
allowances for climate change and other factors to give protection
from flooding against a 1 in 1,000 probability storm
event by 2030. Taking account of current estimates of climate
change this standard is likely to be exceeded. In addition it
should be noted that the original design allowed for some adaptation
to cope with additional sea level rise and it is part of a relatively
flexible control system whose effectiveness could be further
enhanced by developments such as improved real time surge and
river flow modelling.
New developments
Recommendation 11
Planning policy guidance should take account of
the likely future flood risk as well as present-day risk. The
Environment Agency should now be a statutory consultee for flood
risk assessments. Any new developments that are built in flood-prone
areas should be designed to be as resilient to the effects of
flooding as possible. (Paragraph 42)
In parallel with the Making space for water
consultation, the Government is currently considering what, if
any, changes might be appropriate to Planning Policy Guidance
Note 25 (PPG25, Development and Flood Risk). We therefore
welcome the Committee's comments and recommendations as a timely
contribution to this consideration.
The Government has recently reviewed the role of
statutory consultees under the General Development Procedure Order
1995. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) intends to
consult on extending the Agency's statutory consultee role in
relation to flood risk on certain developments. This will ensure
that the Agency has the opportunity to make any necessary representations.
Currently there is no universal consultation in such cases although
PPG 25 advises that it should take place. The creation of the
statutory duty responds to this.
Making space for water
also discusses and seeks views on the ways in which the risk to
both new and existing buildings from floodwater can be managed
both by resistance and resilience. Resistance measures are aimed
at keeping water out of a building or at least minimising the
amount that enters whilst resilience measures are aimed at facilitating
the recovery of buildings following a flooding event. There is
a range of resistance and resilience techniques, including those
mentioned in the Committee's report and we fully intend that these
will form a key part of our future Strategy in terms of delivering
future sustainable flood management.
A research programme has been commissioned that,
over the next two years, will evaluate the relative benefits of
flood resistant and resilient construction. In the light of the
results, the Government is committed to reviewing the current
Building Regulations to ensure that appropriate flood risk management
measures are incorporated.
The Government's response to the Sustainable Buildings
Task Group report Better buildings—better lives,[9]
also gives details about how a number of recommendations in relation
to flood resilience will be taken forward.
Recommendation 12
Sewer flooding is particularly hazardous and distressing
for those affected. The Government, water companies and the regulators
should work together to ensure that the risk of sewer flooding
is minimised, both for new and existing developments. For new
developments, sewers should be designed to cope with the likely
future volume of flow. For existing developments, water companies
should upgrade existing sewers where possible and Ofwat should
include the expense of doing so in the price limits it sets. The
Government should encourage the use of sustainable drainage systems
to reduce the pressure on sewers during periods of high rainfall.
(Paragraph 43)
The Government shares the Committee's concern about
the distress sewer flooding causes to those affected and attaches
a high priority to its reduction.
Sewer flooding and more general flooding are closely
connected. The Government has been working with water companies
and the regulators in order to approach all sources of flooding
in a more holistic manner. The Making space for water consultation
looks at all sources of flooding and in particular how drainage
planning and management can be integrated in built-up areas, a
theme highlighted by the Foresight Future Flooding report.
Integrated drainage management should not only bring benefits
to flood management, including sewer flooding, but to water resource
management and water quality as well.
As Making space for water highlights, any
consideration of integration arrangements should include how to
facilitate appropriate use of new and more sustainable approaches
to drainage and in particular sustainable drainage systems (SUDS).
An Interim Code Of Practice for SUDS was published in July 2004
which provides a set of core standards and model agreements between
those public organisations with statutory or regulatory responsibilities
relating to SUDS. The Government will consider carefully the responses
to Making space for water and undertake a detailed review
of the issues raised.
The Government is committed to working with Ofwat
to improve the co-ordination of approaches to address all types
of future flooding risk in the most cost effective manner. The
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs published the
Protocol on Design, Construction and Adoption of Sewers in
England and Wales in April 2002, which gives guidance to all
those involved in new sewer construction. The Protocol should
help to ensure that new sewers are built to cope with likely future
volume of flow (and to a standard that will enable them to be
adopted by the sewerage undertaker). The Government will keep
the Protocol's use under review.
Water Companies have proposed and customer representatives
have supported major programmes to increase the rate at which
they are tackling sewer flooding. The Government welcomes the
allowance made by Ofwat within its draft price determinations
for sewer flooding schemes and notes that Ofwat have invited comments
on their specific proposals. It is the Government's view that
as many properties as possible should be protected within the
five year programme covered by the current review, while also
ensuring that the costs to customers more widely are proportionate
to the benefits.
Insurance
Recommendation 13
We welcome the insurance industry's Statement
of Principles on flood cover. However, we are concerned that some
areas may become uninsurable should flood risk increase as the
result of climate change. We recommend that the Government identify
which areas will face the greatest problems in getting insurance.
The Government should then explore alternative ways in which people
in these areas can manage their flood risk. (Paragraph 46)
We also welcome the insurance industry's Statement
of Principles and maintain regular contact with the Association
of British Insurers (ABI) on their achievement. The Government
and the Environment Agency will continue to work with the insurance
industry on developing and refining understanding of flood risks,
including updating the new Flood Map as new information becomes
available. This will include work during 2005 to develop an understanding
of the sensitivity of the Extreme Flood Outline map to the potential
impacts of climate change.
The Government has also made significant increases
in investment in flood and coastal management in recent years,
and total expenditure is set to rise to at least £564 million
in 2005-06. However, all parties recognise that it is not sustainable—economically,
technically or environmentally—to defend every community
against flooding through the use of conventional defences. It
is, however, possible to adopt a range of alternative approaches
which will mitigate flood risk, including addressing the consequences
rather than the likelihood of flooding.
Flood warning arrangements allow risks to life to
be minimised and flood damage mitigated by allowing valuable items
to be moved upstairs away from advancing flood waters. The Environment
Agency has made major investments in flood warning in the last
decade or so and this will be enhanced by its current investment
strategy which in England will see expenditure of £226 million
to 2012/13. The Agency's annual public awareness campaigns also
help ensure that members of the public are aware of flood risks
and what action they can take to reduce these.
Temporary, demountable defences, such as those used
to good effect in Ironbridge in early 2004, can provide solutions
in some situations where conventional defences are not possible.
Increasing the resistance and resilience of buildings,
as discussed above, not only reduces the risk of flood waters
entering but can also reduce restoration costs after flooding.
There is a range of devices available to protect individual buildings
and a number of these are now 'kite marked' following an extensive
research programme led by the Environment Agency. As part of the
Government's consultation on Making space for water, the
ABI is hosting a workshop jointly with National Flood Forum setting
out how householders can obtain better advice on flood protection
at the property level, and how to overcome some of the barriers
to the uptake of property-level measures.
As noted above, the Government is also reviewing
PPG25 which is intended to ensure that inappropriate development
does not take place in flood risk areas.
While we accept that the insurance industry cannot
guarantee that all communities will continue to receive flood
cover on standard terms, we believe that a competitive market,
coupled with measures such as those above, will help ensure that
cover remains readily available to the vast majority of households.
Currently, insurers will use best efforts and take a case-by-case
approach to examine how insurance can be maintained in areas of
high flood risk, eg through the use of 'kite marked' flood protection
products.
Recommendation 14
Ofwat, the Government, the environmental regulators
and the water companies should together devise a way to plan adequately
for long term expenditure, such as that required in the light
of climate change. We are surprised that, with very few exceptions,
Ofwat has not begun to allow companies to include the cost of
managing the impacts of climate change in the current price review.
(Paragraph 47)
The Government agrees that water policies require
long-term planning by all the stakeholders. The Government set
out its long-term policy framework for water in Directing the
Flow in 2002. Existing regulatory systems have proved capable
of delivering long-term programmes not constrained to the five-yearly
periodic review cycle. For example, a 20 year programme for the
improvement of drinking water mains will be completed by 2010.
In the same way, action to meet European requirements such as
the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive and the Habitats Directive
is extending across more than one periodic review. The Water Framework
Directive offers the opportunity for a new approach, both longer
term and more integrated. Government, regulators, the industry
and other stakeholders will work together on how the Directive
interacts with the periodic review.
As noted in our response to Recommendation 3 above,
the majority of water resources plans do consider the impacts
of climate change. But climate change is only one of the factors
considered in plans. It is the totality of all factors affecting
supply and demand that govern the need for funding.
How water companies fund the measures that are required
is settled between the companies and Ofwat. Long-term programmes
need to be defined before they can be funded. The Government recognises
that Ofwat will expect companies to define, justify and cost clear
programmes of work before making allowance in price limits. Co-operative
efforts within the Water Framework Directive and in other policy
areas need to be directed at turning general policy objectives
into specific programmes of work.
Ofwat has indicated that it will conduct a review
of the price review process. Defra will contribute to that review.
Defra will also consider from its perspective the lessons to be
learned and the implications for the future of developments.
Recommendation 15
Water customers should not necessarily have to
meet the costs of mitigating the impact of climate change on water
resources. For example, where a certain level of water flow is
needed to protect freshwater ecosystems in an area, there is an
argument for meeting the cost of doing so through central Government
expenditure rather than through water bills. (Paragraph 48)
The Environment Agency will need to ensure that flows
to protect freshwater ecosystems are maintained through its operation
of the abstraction licensing system. That may require reductions
in licensed abstractions in a given area, and in turn to a liability
for the Agency to pay compensation where a reduction leads to
loss or damage.
The question of whether Government expenditure should
be used to cover the costs of compensation was consulted upon
in Economic Instruments in Relation to Water Abstraction: A
Consultation Paper. The Government responded to the consultation
in Tuning Water Taking,[10]and
concluded that as licence holders continue to derive a benefit
from the water they abstract, that it is appropriate that they
should contribute towards safeguarding the resource and their
own security of supply. Therefore the costs of protecting freshwater
ecosystems will be borne by abstractors.
Government planning for climate change
Recommendation 16
Planning needs to start now, both for the way
we want to approach development, flood defence and water resources
in the light of climate change, and for the necessary expenditure.
The Government must take further action now. In particular it
must ensure that new housing planned now will still be fit for
use in 50 years' time or more; this means taking account of the
way climate change will affect water supplies and flooding. (Paragraph
49)
Our responses to the previous recommendations address
most of these points. We have explained how we are reviewing PPG25
which will include consideration of the Committee's Recommendation
11 that the guidance needs to take greater account of future flood
risk. In response to Recommendation 10 we explain the work that
we have done to assess future expenditure needs for flood risk
management, which includes assessment of the impacts of climate
change. Our response to Recommendation 13 sets out the work that
we are doing to help improve the resistance and resilience of
buildings to flooding. Overarching all of this work is the Government's
new long term Strategy for flood and coastal erosion risk management,
fundamental to which is the need to address the challenges and
pressures we face, including those from climate change.
With regard to water supplies our response to Recommendation
6 sets out the steps the Government is taking to ensure that new
development makes the best use of existing water resources, such
as through water efficiency requirements in building regulations
and the development of the Code for Sustainable Buildings.
Recommendation 17
We welcome the work of the UK Climate Impacts
Programme in helping organisations to assess how climate change
might affect them and how they might adapt to it and we recommend
that the Government consider how it could educate the public about
the changes that are likely to occur and what steps individuals
could take to prepare for them. (Paragraph 50)
UK Climate Impacts Programme data, tools and publications
are available either through their website or in the case of reports,
in hard copy, which are made available free of charge through
Government sponsorship of the Programme.
UK Climate Impacts Programme publications are targeted
towards particular groups in its stakeholder audience. While the
remit of this programme does not extend explicitly to cover the
general public, a number of publications have found a particularly
high take-up, and the programme-office staff respond regularly
to enquiries from the public and from national and regional news
and information media.
The Government funds a number of other organisations
that communicate the climate change message to both journalists
and members of the public during the course of their work. These
bodies include the Energy Saving Trust, the Carbon Trust, the
Tyndall Centre and the Hadley Centre.
In August 2004, the Defra-chaired Climate Change
Communications Working Group issued an invitation to tender for
the development of an evidence-based, short to medium-term communications
strategy for climate change. The work was awarded to Futerra Sustainable
Development Communications.[11]
The project has two key aims: i) to identify ways
to consolidate the effectiveness of existing climate change communications
from Government, its agencies and NDPBs and ii) to consider the
potential role, impact and methodology for additional communications
activity.
Futerra are working closely with representatives
from relevant Government Departments, Agencies and NDPBs, and
a range of key stakeholder groups to formulate their conclusions.
Their strategy proposals will be presented to the Working Group
on 5 November 2004.
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
November 2004
1 http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2004/040915b.htm Back
2
Referred to as the 'periodic review' throughout the rest of the
text. Back
3
'The Incidence Effects of Charging for Domestic Water and Sewerage
Services', product code 98EP0244. Back
4
PPG1 has been reviewed as Planning Policy Statement 1. The consultation
draft which is being reconsidered in the light of consultation
responses is at the following website:
http://www.odpm.gov.uk/stellent/groups/odpm_planning/documents/page/odpm_plan_027494.pdf Back
5
http://www.odpm.gov.uk/stellent/groups/odpm_planning/documents/page/odpm_plan_032088.pdf Back
6
Foresight Flood and Coastal Defence Project (2004). Future
Flooding, Office of Science and Technology www.foresight.gov.uk Back
7
Defra (2004), Making space for water: developing a new Government
strategy for flood and coastal erosion risk management in England:
a consultation exercise. PB 9792 www.defra.gov.uk/environ/fcd/policy/strategy Back
8
http://www.defra.gov.uk/environ/fcd/policy/naarmaps.htm Back
9
http://www.dti.gov.uk/construction/sustain/govres.pdf Back
10
Tuning Water Taking-Government decisions following consultation
on the use of economic instruments in relation to water abstraction,
June 2001. Available from: http://defraweb/environment/water/resources/tuning/index.htm
Back
11
http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2004/040820a.htm Back
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