Water Level Management (Hansard, 19 July 2002)

§ Gregory Barker
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the water level management plans being implemented; and what percentage of the total number of water level management plans this represents. [69628]

§ Mr. Morley
[holding answer 17 July 2002]: According to our records, there are 90 Water Level Management Plans (WLMPs) currently being implemented on the following sites:

Gordano Valley

Puxton Moor PSSSI

Yanal Bog

Fancott Woods & Meadows

Tebworth Marsh

Alderford Common

Delph Bridge Drain

Holme Fen

Shippea Hill (Geol)

Soham Wet Horse Fen

Stow Cum Quy Fen

Pevensey Levels

Ashleworth Ham

Chaceley Meadow
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Upper Severn Estuary

Walmore Common

Burley Dene Meadows

Moseley Common

Barton and Barrow Clay Pits

Haxey Grange Fen

North Killingholme Pits PSSSI

South Cliffe, Hotham Carr & North Cliffe

Holborough-Burham Marshes

Preston Marshes

Sandwich Bay & Hacklinge Marshes

Stodmarsh

Bratoft Meadows

Horbling Fen

Tattershall Old Gravel Pits

Petney Blow Wells

Ant Broads & Marshes

Aslacton Parish Land

Badley Moor

Beetley & Hoe Meadows

Booton Common

Broad Fen Ditham

Bryants Heath, Felmingham

Burgh Common & Muckfleet Marshes

Buxton Heath

Calthorpe Broad

Damgate Marshes, Acle

Decoy Can, Acle

Dersingham Bog

East Ruston Common

Flordon Common

Halvergate Marshes

Ludham-Potter Heigham Marsh

Potter & Scarning Fens

Priory Meadows

Roydon Common Sea Mere

Hingham

Shallam Dyke Marshes

Smallburgh Fen

Swannington Upgate Common

Upper Thurne Broads & Marshes

Upton Broads & Marshes

Whitewell Common

Winterton to Horsey Dunes

Yare Broads & Marshes

Aubert Ings (River Midd)

Bishop Monkton Ings

Burr Closes

Farnham Mires

Forlorn Hope Meadow

Hay-A-Park SSSI

Heslington Tillmire

Kirkby Wharfe

Skipworth Common

Mission Line Bank

Mission Training Area

Moorlinch

Tealham & Tadham Moors
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Shirley Pool

Went Ings Meadows

Baswich Meadows

Doxey & Tillington Marshes

Rawbones Meadow

Fox Fritillary Meadow, Framsden

Lakenheath Poors Fen

Minsmere/Walberswick: Tinker's Marsh

Minsmere/Walberswick: Southwold Town Marshes

Minsmere/Walberswick: Minsmere

Minsmere/Walberswick: West Wood and Dingle Marshes

Minsmere/Walberswick: Home Covert Marshes

North Warren and Thorpeness

Meare

Pashford Poors Fen (Lakenheath)

Sizewell Marshes

Wilde Street Meadow

Amberley Wild Brooks

Pagham Harbour

Waltham Brooks

This represents 18 per cent of the total number of WLMPs. However this list does not include sites where the WLMP did not identify any changes to be implemented, or sites where the plan identified a need for further monitoring before effecting any changes. The implementation of a number of other plans was delayed by and access restrictions during the foot and mouth outbreak.

§ Mrs. Helen Clark
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department are taking to ensure that water level management plans comply with the EC Water Framework Directive; how many completed water level management plans comply with the EC Habitats and Birds Directives; and what steps she is taking to ensure that water level management plans deliver conservation benefits. [68169]

§ Mr. Morley
[holding answer 11 July 2002]: When the EC Water Framework Directive is transposed into English and Welsh law, it will require consideration of all aspects of the water cycle with an emphasis on ecological water quality. In implementing the Water Framework Directive, it will be important to ensure effective integration between the Directive requirements and Water Level Management Plans (WLMPs). WLMPs are designed to be reviewed at regular intervals and should incorporate any guidance which arises as a result of the implementation of the Water Framework Directive.
The operating authorities (Environment Agency, Internal Drainage Boards or Local Authorities) are the competent authorities in respect of ensuring that WLMPs comply with the Habitats and Birds Directives. They have a duty to ensure that their activities, including those relevant to water level management, comply with the Directives, as implemented in the UK by the Habitats Regulations. Under these Regulations they are required to assess whether any schemes which are not necessary for site management for nature conservation are likely to have a significant effect on the site. If so, an Appropriate Assessment must be undertaken before any works can be carried out. We are not aware of any Appropriate Assessments completed to date in relation WLMPs.
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English Nature and the operating authorities are working with DEFRA on guidelines to provide advice to operating authorities in undertaking such an Appropriate Assessment.
Operating Authorities draw up WLMPs in consultation with English Nature, who propose conservation objectives for each plan. All WLMPs must be agreed with English Nature before implementation.
In 1999, MAFF issued guidance to flood and coastal defence operating authorities on conservation benefits and WLMPs. This guidance was agreed with English Nature and the RSPB, as well as the operating authorities.

§ Mr. Drew
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on whether internationally designated sites have(a) water level management plans for individual hydrological units and (b) a single water level management plan for numerous hydrological units.[[69178]

§ Mr. Morley
[holding answer 11 July 2002]: The decision as to whether a Water Level Management Plan (WLMP) is based on individual hydrological units or numerous units will depend on technical, environmental and economic factors which vary significantly between sites. As a result, all Water Level Management Plans are designed and implemented on a case-by-case basis and there is no policy on a preferred approach. In many cases, particularly for relatively small, discrete sites, operating authorities have prepared a single plan to cover all the hydrological units within an international site. However, for larger sites with separate hydrological units that have different operating authorities (e.g. the Somerset Levels), separate WLMPs have been prepared, for example, for each constituent Site of Special Scientific Interest.
DEFRA is currently working with English Nature and the operating authorities to prepare guidance on the effects of the Habitats Regulations on Water Level Management Plans. Amongst other things, this will advise operating authorities on the geographical scale at which the implications for the Habitats Regulations should be considered.

§ Mr. Drew
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much(a) the Environment Agency, (b) the Internal Drainage Boards and (c) local authorities have spent on consultants to prepare water level management plans in each of the last five years.[[69180]

§ Mr. Morley
[holding answer 11 July 2002]: I regret that DEFRA does not hold this information as preparation of Water Level Management Plans is the responsibility of the operating authorities. The information cannot therefore be obtained in the form requested except at disproportionate cost.

§ Mr. Drew
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department has spent on the preparation and production of water level management plans in each of the last five years.[[69179]

§ Mr. Morley
[holding answer 11 July 2002]: The flood and coastal defence operating authorities (Environment Agency, Internal Drainage Boards and Local Authorities) have funded the preparation of Water Level Management Plans (WLMPs) from their own budgets. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs does not fund
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preparation and production of WLMPs. We do, however, provide grant aid for flood management works required to implement WLMPs.