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Flood and Water Management Bill

I beg to move, That the Bill be now read the Third time. I thank hon. Members from all parts of the House for their contribution in helping the Bill to reach this stage, following the pre-legislative scrutiny that the right hon. Member for Fylde (Mr. Jack) so ably led. The House will recognise that there are the most demanding constraints on Bills this Session because of the shortage of time, but even with them the Public Bill Committee managed to debate the Bill, the amendments, most clauses on stand part, the vast majority of new clauses and several issues that were new to the original Bill. That in itself was a real achievement. I am particularly grateful for the skill with which those who chaired the Committee, the hon. Member for Christchurch (Mr. Chope), my hon. Friend the Member for Carlisle (Mr. Martlew) and the hon. Member for Congleton (Ann Winterton), steered the Bill's debate. I thank also the hon. Members for Vale of York (Miss McIntosh) and for Cheltenham (Martin Horwood) for their constructive scrutiny of the Bill and the part that they and their colleagues played in bringing us to this point. I am also grateful for the very hard work that was carried out by the Welsh Assembly and, particularly, the Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing in Wales, Jane Davidson.