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Flood and Water Management Bill

My Lords, this amendment raises the important matter of catchment area management. I shall speak also to Amendment 25 in the same group. There are also two amendments tabled by the noble Lord, Lord Cameron of Dillington. We talked about catchment area management at Second Reading. The noble Lord, Lord Cameron, was particularly eloquent about it, and I look forward to hearing what he has to say today. We said then that the principle of catchment area management is not clearly set out in the Bill and that some of the administrative arrangements being proposed may get in the way of proper catchment area management unless it is set out as a clear duty. The amendment would add to the things that the national strategy must specify, ""the means by which the strategy will ensure that flood risk management within catchment areas takes place on a co-ordinated basis"." My second amendment would add the same wording to the local strategies. I shall not speak at great length because the position is very clear.