Flood Control: EU Law
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects the EU Floods Directive 2007/60/EC on the assessment and management of flood risk to be implemented in the UK; and if she will make a statement. [7919]
Richard Benyon: The EU Floods Directive was transposed into law in England and Wales by the Flood Risk Regulations 2009, which came into force on 10 December 2009. The directive has also been transposed through separate legislation in Scotland and in Northern Ireland.
The first stage of the directive is now being implemented in England and Wales. The Environment Agency has issued guidance to lead local flood authorities on how to prepare preliminary assessment reports.
Work is now under way to determine an appropriate method for identifying areas of significant risk, for which flood maps and flood risk management plans will need to be prepared.