The NFU has raised a number of concerns with the Government's Flood & Water Management Bill which has now been presented to Parliament.

Among the areas for concern is the new role and responsibilities for flood risk management, in particular the strategic overview role given to the Environment Agency and the new arrangements for reservoir safety, extending the scope of the current Reservoirs Act 1975 to include reservoirs of 10,000 cubic metres capacity or more.

The Bill, criticised by the influential Efra Select Committee, follows Sir Michael Pitt's review of the floods of 2007, which saw floodwaters overwhelm urban and rural communities alike and cause untold damage to farming businesses.

Nine key provisions are contained within the Bill with four directly affecting the farming industry:

• The National Flood & Coastal Risk Management Strategy: associated roles and responsibilities
• Local Authorities responsibility for local Flood & Coastal Risk Management Strategies
• Update of the Reservoir Safety legislation
• The application of the 'sustainability duty' to all bodies managing flood risk

NFU deputy president Meurig Raymond says: "Although the Bill reflects many of the recommendations of the Pitt review, there are a number of concerns for the farming industry including the role of the Environmental Agency. The NFU appreciates the need for a single, coordinating body to be responsible for all types of flooding, and understands the reasons for the EA being given this role. However, we consider that the Bill's provisions are power heavy and duty light, both in terms of the Agency's strategic overview role and its operational activity.

"We believe there is a strong sense of disconnection between the EA and those on the ground who are affected by flooding and that there has been inadequate investment in the maintenance of rivers and defences. It is imperative that the EA publishes its maintenance schedules and risk assessments used in determining its approach.

"It is also vital to ensure that new clauses on reservoir safety are not used in the future to enable unnecessary additional costs and bureaucracy to be placed on the farming sector. That could have a direct impact on small on-farm reservoirs which are an important tool for helping farmers and growers to use water more efficiently."

The NFU, however, applauds the aims of the Bill to provide better, more sustainable management of flood risk for people, homes and businesses; help safeguard community groups from unaffordable rises in surface water drainage charges; and protect water supplies to the consumer. It agrees with:

• the need for a comprehensive national flood and coastal risk management strategy
• that local people need to have a greater influence in shaping local flood and coastal erosion risk management strategies
• that all authorities involved in flood and coastal erosion risk management should have due regard to sustainable development where possible