House of Commons Public Bill Committee Proceedings

House of Commons

Session 2009 - 10
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Other Bills before Parliament

Public Bill Committee Proceedings: 21 January 2010
46

Flood and Water Management Bill, continued

(2)
In particular, the report must include information on the progress towards

implementing each recommendation for adapting to climate change.’.

Transfer of sustainable urban drainage systems

Miss Anne McIntosh

Angela Watkinson

Not called  NC21

To move the following Clause:—

‘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

Not called  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

Not called  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.’.

Public Bill Committee Proceedings: 21 January 2010
47

Flood and Water Management Bill, continued

Approval of local flood risk management strategies (Wales)

Martin Horwood

Mr Roger Williams

Not called  NC24

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

Wales as defined in section 10.’.

Flood risk areas

Mr Laurence Robertson

Not called  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

Not called  NC26

To move the following Clause:—

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

Public Bill Committee Proceedings: 21 January 2010
48

Flood and Water Management Bill, continued

(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

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

Not called  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

Agreed to

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

proceedings of the Committee.

Bill, as amended, to be reported.