The Government has acknowledged that parts of the Floods and Water Bill may need to be sacrificed to get some on the statute book before the general election.
Huw Irranca-Davies, minister for flood management, told MPs that the aim was to have the Bill ready by October, which he acknowledged could leave as little as 11 weeks for the legislation to get through Parliament. But Hewitt said: ‘It might be that we do end up doing legislation in stages.’
The Environment Agency told MPs that those things most fundamental to get through Parliament were clearer powers and duties for itself and local authorities.
Irranca-Davies also denied that the new system to provide clearer responsibility for flood management was centralising, as senior council officers have suggested (Surveyor, 18 June). The environment, food and rural affairs select committee was concerned that stripping council-led regional flood committees of executive responsibility would frustrate innovative work by councils.
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