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Flood and Water Management Bill

My Lords, I support my noble friend Lady Knight’s amendment, which calls for the Environment Agency’s report on flood and coastal erosion risk management to be published by the Minister when he receives it. She has pointed out why it is important that this is done in the interests of transparency and reassurance for the people who feel that their lives may be affected. As my noble friend has pointed out, it is of considerable, even acute, interest to people to know where they stand. The risk of flooding is a grave concern for many communities which have suffered terribly from inundation. The cost, in financial but also emotional terms, of having your house flooded is likely to be considerable. As my noble friend pointed out, there is a great hunger in communities for information which directly affects them. She has mentioned the trouble that people in her area have had in trying to find out what has happened to resources that they expected to see after flooding has damaged their homes and businesses. It is a matter of immense frustration to come up against bureaucracy, as I am sure noble Lords will know only too well. The publishing of reports will not necessarily help to solve all problems, but if we operate, as I think that we should, on the principle that as much information is available to the public as possible, we can be sure that we are at least helping people to information which they could use to help themselves. In our previous Committee debate the Minister gave his response to this amendment, even though it had not been moved, and he indicated that his response would be the same today. In fairness to the Minister, there was considerable confusion about whether the amendment was being moved in that group; we understand that. He agreed that reports should be published, although he added the caveat that publication may have to be delayed because of security or other reasons. Indeed, my noble friend has already asked if the Minister could indicate what those reasons might be. It is frustrating, as I said, not to be able to gain access to information, and I would not like any unnecessary delays to be allowed to creep in. Will the noble Lord therefore set out what protocol will govern the publication of agencies’ reports and why a Minister might withhold immediate publication?