(1)The Environment Agency—
(a)must divide England and Wales into regions for the purposes of this section,
(b)must establish a Regional Flood and Coastal Committee for each region that is wholly or mainly in England (an “English Committee”), and
(c)must establish a Regional Flood and Coastal Committee for each region that is wholly or mainly in Wales (a “Welsh Committee”).
(2)The Minister may by regulations—
(a)specify the procedure to be followed by the Agency in exercising its functions under subsection (1)(a) (which may include provision about revision, consultation and appeals);
(b)make transitional provision with respect to the establishment of Regional Flood and Coastal Committees in place of regional flood defence committees.
(1)The Environment Agency must—
(a)consult each Regional Flood and Coastal Committee about the way in which the Agency proposes to carry out its flood and coastal erosion risk management functions in relation to the Committee’s region, and
(b)take into account any representations (whether made in response to a consultation or otherwise) made by the Committee about the exercise of the Agency’s flood and coastal erosion risk management functions in that region.
(2)The Agency may not implement the regional programme without the consent of the Regional Flood and Coastal Committee for the region concerned.
(3)The Agency may not issue a levy under section 17 to a lead local flood authority without the consent of the Regional Flood and Coastal Committee for the region concerned.
(4)The Agency may not spend revenue under section 118 of the Water Resources Act 1991 without the consent of the Regional Flood and Coastal Committee for the region in which the revenue is raised.
The Minister may by regulations make provision about—
(a)the number of members of a Regional Flood and Coastal Committee,
(b)conditions of eligibility for appointment,
(c)the method of selection and appointment of the members (including who is to appoint them), and
(d)the proceedings of a Committee (including provision about (i) quorum, and (ii) the nature and extent of a majority required for specified purposes).
(1)The Minister may direct the Environment Agency to pay to or in respect of persons who chair or have chaired Regional Flood and Coastal Committees—
(a)remuneration,
(b)allowances,
(c)sums by way of or in respect of pension, and
(d)compensation, if the Minister thinks that a person who ceases to chair a Committee should, because of special circumstances, receive compensation.
(2)The Agency may pay allowances to members of Committees.
(3)The Minister may determine amounts or maximum amounts to be paid under this section.
In this group of sections “the Minister” means—
(a)the Secretary of State in relation to English Committees, and
(b)the Welsh Ministers in relation to Welsh Committees.