61.This section requires a relevant authority to co-operate with any other relevant authority which is exercising flood or coastal erosion risk management functions. Relevant authorities are defined in subsection (3) and include risk management authorities (defined in section 6) and Welsh Ministers.
62.Subsection (2) gives risk management authorities the power to share information, in response to a request or voluntarily, where this is for the purpose of a risk management authority fulfilling its duty to co-operate.
63.Subsection (4) allows a risk management authority to arrange for a flood risk management function to be exercised on its behalf by another risk management authority or a navigation authority. However, subsection (5) specifically excludes the functions relating to a national strategy for England (under section 7) or local strategies (under sections 9 and 10) from being exercised by another body. This does not prevent a lead local flood authority entering into arrangements for another body to prepare its strategy, or carry out any other work that relates to its duties under section 9 in England or 10 in Wales, as long as the lead local flood authority remains the decision-maker.
64.Subsections (6) and (7) allow a coast protection authority, with the consent of the Environment Agency, to make arrangements for any of its coastal erosion risk management functions to be exercised on its behalf by another person. Subsection (8) allows the Environment Agency to make arrangements for any of its coastal erosion risk management functions to be exercised on its behalf by a coast protection authority, a lead local flood authority or an internal drainage board.
65.The effect of this section is to give risk management authorities the flexibility to act on behalf of one another and to form informal partnerships. Guidance provided by the Environment Agency and the Welsh Ministers under sections 7 and 8 is intended to assist this process.