Public Bill Committee: 21 January 2010

204

Flood and Water Management Bill, continued

‘The Secretary of State may make provision for the transfer of Sustainable Urban

Drainage Systems to water and sewerage companies.’.

Planning permission and connection to the sewerage system

Miss Anne McIntosh

Angela Watkinson

NC22

To move the following Clause:—

‘(1)	The Town and Country Planning Act 1990 is amended as follows.

(2)	After section 70B of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 insert—

“70C	Prior to granting planning permission under section 70(1), a local

planning authority must consult the relevant sewerage undertaker in

relation to the proposed location of any connection to the sewerage

system.”.

(3)	“sewerage system” shall have the same meaning as in section 94 of the Water

Industry Act 1991.’.

Approval of local flood risk management strategies (England)

Martin Horwood

Mr Roger Williams

NC23

To move the following Clause:—

‘The regional flood and coastal committee shall approve local flood risk

management strategies developed by lead local flood authorities for areas in

England as defined in section 9.’.

Approval of local flood risk management strategies (Wales)

Martin Horwood

Mr Roger Williams

NC24

To move the following Clause:—

Public Bill Committee: 21 January 2010

205

Flood and Water Management Bill, continued

‘The regional flood and coastal committee shall approve local flood risk

management strategies developed by lead local flood authorities for areas in

Wales as defined in section 10.’.

Flood risk areas

Mr Laurence Robertson

NC25

To move the following Clause:—

‘(1)	The Environment Agency shall carry out an assessment of the whole of England

and Wales to determine which areas of land are at risk from flooding, and it shall

determine these as being “flood risk areas”.

(2)	For the purposes of this section, an area of land shall be designated as a flood risk

area if—

(a)	there is evidence of it having flooded in the past;

(b)	for the purposes of paragraph (a), an area shall be deemed to have flooded

if water has rested on the surface of the land, or just below the surface;

(c)	the local planning authority, or the Environment Agency after

consultation with the local planning authority, are of the opinion that

building on a section of land would be likely to increase the risk of other

pieces of land flooding as a result of water displacement; or

(d)	having consulted with the local planning authority, the Environment

Agency reasonably believes that the area might be subject to flooding in

the future.

(3)	If an area of land is designated as flood risk, the Environment Agency shall

submit a formal objection to any medium or large-scale planning application

which is proposed for that land.

(4)	For the purposes of subsection (3), a planning application shall be designated as

being medium or large-scale if it involves the building of more than 10 houses, or

if it involves the building of a public, commercial or industrial unit covering

larger than half an acre in land area.’.

Training and development of employees in water sector

Mr David Drew

NC26

To move the following Clause:—

‘(1)	The Water Industry Act 1991 (c.56) is amended as follows.

(2)	After section 37(3) insert—

“(4)	It shall be the duty of each water undertaker to ensure it maintains

investment in the training and development of its workforce. Each

undertaker shall be required by Ofwat to include in their twenty-five year

Public Bill Committee: 21 January 2010

206

Flood and Water Management Bill, continued

strategic plan measures to ensure that sufficient investment is being made

in training and development”.’.

Duties for sustainable management and use of water

Mr David Drew

NC30

To move the following Clause:—

‘(1)	The Water Industry Act 1991 is amended as follows.

(2)	After section (2)3 insert—

“(3A)

The Director of Ofwat shall carry out the duties imposed by this section

in such a way as to:

(a)	promote the sustainable management and use of water;

(b)	ensure that the regulatory duty of Ofwat is structured to promote

sustainability in the water management supply chain, paying

particular attention to innovation in treatment processes, energy

efficiency, job security, leakage control and water efficiency

activities, including an obligation to promote a more long-term

(twenty years or more) approach by water companies to their

investment programmes;

(c)	promote skills in the water industry, by publishing a skills

strategy; and

(d)	promote employment in the water industry through an annual

report to Ministers on the number of jobs in the sector and in the

supply chain.”’.

Huw Irranca-Davies

That certain written evidence already reported to the House be appended to the

proceedings of the Committee.

Order of the House [15 December 2009]

That the following provisions shall apply to the Flood and Water Management Bill:

Committal

1.	The Bill shall be committed to a Public Bill Committee.

Proceedings in Public Bill Committee

2.	Proceedings in the Public Bill Committee shall (so far as not previously

concluded) be brought to a conclusion on Thursday 21 January 2010.

3.	The Public Bill Committee shall have leave to sit twice on the first day on

which it meets.

Public Bill Committee: 21 January 2010

207

Flood and Water Management Bill, continued

Consideration and Third Reading

4.	Proceedings on consideration shall (so far as not previously concluded) be

brought to a conclusion one hour before the moment of interruption on the

day on which those proceedings are commenced.

5.	Proceedings on Third Reading shall (so far as not previously concluded) be

brought to a conclusion at the moment of interruption on that day.

6.	Standing Order No. 83B (Programming committees) shall not apply to

proceedings on consideration and Third Reading.

Other proceedings

7.	Any other proceedings on the Bill (including any proceedings on

consideration of Lords Amendments or on any further messages from the

Lords) may be programmed.

Order of the Committee [7 january 2010]

That—

(1)	the Committee shall (in addition to its first meeting at 9.00 am on Thursday

7 January) meet—

(a)	at 1.00 pm on Thursday 7 January;

(b)	at 10.30 am and 4.00 pm on Tuesday 12 January;

(c)	at 9.00 am and 1.00 pm on Thursday 14 January;

(d)	at 10.30 am and 4.00 pm on Tuesday 19 January;

(e)	at 9.00 am and 1.00 pm on Thursday 21 January;

(2)	the Committee shall hear oral evidence in accordance with the following

Table:

      TABLE

	Date	Time	Witness
	Thursday 7 January	Until no later than	Department for
		10.25 am	Environment, Food and
			Rural Affairs
	Thursday 7 January	Until no later than	Environment Agency;
		2.00 pm	Local Government
			Association; Local
			Government Flood
			Forum; Local
			Government Information
			Unit
	Thursday 7 January	Until no later than	National Farmers Union;
		3.00 pm	Association of Drainage
			Authorities; Association
			of British Insurers; Royal
			Society for the Protection
			of Birds; Woodland
			Trust; National Flood
			Forum
	Thursday 7 January	Until no later than	Water Services
		4.00 pm	Regulation Authority
			(“OFWAT”); Water UK;
			Consumer Council for
			Water

Public Bill Committee: 21 January 2010

208

Flood and Water Management Bill, continued

(3)	proceedings on consideration of the Bill in Committee shall be taken in the

following order: Clauses 1 to 30; Schedule 1; Clause 31; Schedule 2; Clause

32; Schedule 3; Clause 33; Schedule 4; Clause 34; Schedule 5; Clauses 35 to

46; new Clauses; new Schedules; remaining proceedings on the Bill;

(4)	the proceedings shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a

conclusion at 5.00 pm on Thursday 21 January.

---

Revised 21 January 2010