To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will bring forward proposals to update and consolidate legislation on flood prevention and protection in a single Act. (205610)

One of Sir Michael Pitt's interim conclusions was that flooding legislation should be updated and streamlined under a single unifying Act of Parliament that addresses all sources of flooding, clarifies responsibilities and facilitates flood risk management.

The Government recognise the arguments in support of this and the draft legislative programme, published on 14 May, says that the Government intend to publish a draft Floods and Water Bill for consultation during the next session of Parliament, following the Pitt review into the 2007 floods and the Government's water strategy, ‘Future Water’.