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Flood and Water Management Bill

Guidance will have to be issued on how this co-operation is to take place. We expect the consultation on that to begin later this year and guidance will be provided. The noble Lord is absolutely right. The national strategy will have to be interpreted accurately and effectively by local decision-makers. We are protecting the proper rights of the local risk management authorities to take decisions. As the noble Lord, Lord Greaves, is emphasising, it would be absurd if they took decisions about water management which ran contrary to good sense. The guidance will indicate how they reconcile their position with that of the authority next door, or even more than one authority. I accept entirely his point that it will be necessary to identify how difficulties are overcome. However, that element of detail is a function of guidance, whereas the structure of national strategy and risk management authorities are properly primary legislative issues. That is why they are defined as they are in the Bill.