Flood and Water Management Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 3:45 pm on 14 January 2010.
Anne McIntosh
Shadow Minister (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We had a little discussion earlier about the purpose of levies in our consideration of one of the earlier clauses. The Minister said that the regulations may vary. In 2004-05, the rules about how the money could be spent were changed. Instead of the local regional Environment Agency being able, if you like, to hand out the grants or carve up the funds, from 2004-05 onwards the national Environment Agency took such decisions. In Clause 17, we now have the opportunity for a local levy to be raised.
The problem that I have is that it is the same people—technically, the landowners—who will be asked to pay towards the local levy who are already paying their contribution towards the internal drainage boards. Perhaps another way would be through council tax payers; essentially, the same people would be asked to take this on. Furthermore, concern has been expressed that, to maintain the maximum flexibility in public accountability, the levy should be made available to fund all sources of local flood risk. It is really a case of whether that should encompass all sources of local flood risk in the area.
My main concern in asking the Minister to clarify clause 17 is about the local levy. Would the local levy fund against a localised flooding risk or the areas that we have just had an exchange about, in respect of a downward trend in the funding? Are we being asked for local levies to be raised so that they can plug the gap if no funding is immediately to hand through the normal sources of funding? I am raising our concerns about how the levy will be raised, from whom it will be raised, and what type of risks the funding will be used for.
A parliamentary bill is divided into sections called clauses.
Printed in the margin next to each clause is a brief explanatory `side-note' giving details of what the effect of the clause will be.
During the committee stage of a bill, MPs examine these clauses in detail and may introduce new clauses of their own or table amendments to the existing clauses.
When a bill becomes an Act of Parliament, clauses become known as sections.
A parliamentary bill is divided into sections called clauses.
Printed in the margin next to each clause is a brief explanatory `side-note' giving details of what the effect of the clause will be.
During the committee stage of a bill, MPs examine these clauses in detail and may introduce new clauses of their own or table amendments to the existing clauses.
When a bill becomes an Act of Parliament, clauses become known as sections.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
