Assembly Constitutional Affairs Committee calls for Assembly debate on flood strategy

The National Assembly for Wales’s Constitutional Affairs Committee (formerly the Subordinate Legislation Committee) has called for the Assembly to be given the chance to debate and approve proposals for a National Flood and Coastal Erosion Strategy.

The creation of the strategy in Wales is a clause of the UK Government’s Flood and Water Management Bill, which is currently being considered in parliament.

The Bill requires Welsh Ministers to develop, maintain and apply a national strategy for flood and coastal erosion risk management in Wales.

It also gives the Welsh Government the power to oversee how it is implemented by bodies such as Local Authorities and the Environment Agency.

But the Constitutional Affairs Committee is concerned that the Bill bypasses the Assembly and gives powers directly to the Welsh Government.

Committee Chair Janet Ryder AM said: “We think that Billsgiving powers to Wales should give those powers to the National Assembly, so that it can democratically scrutinise and approve how Welsh Ministers use them, so it is disappointing that this Bill bypasses the National Assembly and gives powers directly to the Welsh Government.

“However, we do recognise that there is a pressing need for Welsh Ministers to be able to take a strategic overview of flood management and coastal erosion. Current legislation may not give Ministers all the tools they need to manage these risks andtherefore we arecontent, in this case, thatpowers should be given direct to Ministers through this Bill.

“However, the Strategy will be a very important part of the Government's response to the risk of flooding and erosion and it is therefore vital that there is wide-ranging consultation on what it should contain, and how it will operate.

“The National Assembly and its scrutiny committeesshould be given the chance to consider the strategy in draft form and there should also be an opportunity for Assembly Members to debate the Welsh Government's proposals on the floor of the Assembly.”

The report, published today, also calls for the Bill to be amended so that clearer appeal processes are set out in the Bill itself.

The committee is concerned that the Bill doesn’t give clear enough indication of how the appeals processes will work. It calls for these to be corrected and asks the Welsh Government to recommend changes to the UK Government.