Section 4: “Flood risk management function”
26.This section defines a “flood risk management function” as including existing functions from specified Acts as well as functions under Part 1 of the Act. The effect of defining a function as a flood risk management function is to bring it within the scope of certain provisions in the Act which require such functions to be performed in specified ways. For instance, under sections 11 and 12 such functions must be carried out in a manner which is consistent with the strategies provided for in sections 7 to 10, and by virtue of section 13 bodies exercising those functions must co-operate with one another. The Secretary of State in England and Welsh Ministers in Wales may by order specify further statutory functions to be within the definition of a flood risk management function, but they cannot create new statutory functions under this section. The functions of water companies are not included within the list of flood risk management functions listed in the Act but these may be included by order.
