Climate Change Bill [HL]

These amendments have our broad support. There is, indeed, a serious problem with this country’s approach to dealing with floods. As the floods last summer revealed, there needs to be a better strategy. Indeed, more recently, floods have kept some noble Lords from the Chamber. We are all delighted to see the noble Lord, Lord Greaves, in his place today after his enforced absence yesterday. There were rumours that government business managers had ensured that he would not be present. As the noble Lord, Lord Teverson, said, there are too many agencies and organisations with competing priorities to be able to co-ordinate the fight against flooding in a manner that will achieve results. Floods, and the various things that are required to assess their risk and prevent them, do not seem to fall to any single authority’s jurisdiction. Local authorities at different levels, the Highways Agency, water companies, government departments, agencies, including the Environment Agency, and others all have responsibility. I am not against having a diversity of providers, as long as they are co-ordinated strategically. As has been mentioned in earlier debates, river systems are enormously complex and spread far across many local boundaries. There is also still a considerable responsibility, which is often overlooked, on local landowners. Where these are exercised through internal drainage boards, they are generally well managed. However, too often elsewhere no one seems to take charge of the neglected drain or abandoned field ditch that should be part of a surface water drainage system of a recently constructed housing estate or business park. The poor maintenance of drains, ditches and sometimes sewers contributes to the risk of flooding. Furthermore, there is a failure to appreciate and respond to the strategic nature of flood risk. At the moment, there is a great deal of uncertainty about the potential risk of future flooding, and more work certainly needs to be done. Does the Minister have flooding in mind when he talks about adaptation to climate change? Where does the Minister think the responsibility for co-ordinating the response to flooding should lie in the future?