Explanatory Notes

Water Act 2014

2014 CHAPTER 21

14 May 2014

Commentary

Part 4.Flood Insurance

Flood insurance obligations

Section 75: Functions of relevant bodies

267.Section 75 provides for the regulations made under section 74 to set out which bodies will carry out which functions in connection with the register of premises subject to greater flood risk.

268.Subsection (1) specifies which functions may be carried out by the “relevant bodies” as those that are connected with the creation and ongoing maintenance of the register, access to or disclosure of information contained within the register, publication of the register and notifying people when particular premises are included in the register. Subsection (2) names the bodies that are to be the relevant bodies in different parts of the United Kingdom.

269.Subsection (3) enables the regulations to specify an additional role for the Environment Agency. The additional role would involve the Environment Agency coordinating the work carried out by relevant bodies under subsection (1) and promoting the consistency of this work. Subsection (4) enables the regulations to require relevant bodies to cooperate with each other in this work and for relevant bodies other than the Environment Agency to cooperate with the Environment Agency in the carrying out of its additional duties under subsection (3).

270.Subsection (5) provides that regulations may provide for information held for council tax purposes by the Valuation Office to be disclosed to the Environment Agency or the Natural Resources Body for Wales. Restrictions can be placed on further disclosure and how the data can be used. This data will enable properties where construction was completed after a certain date to be excluded from the register. Similar provisions are not required to cover the required data in Scotland and Northern Ireland because this is already publicly available.