31/07/10
The priority for government is saving money and Defra has provided its share of fuel for the bonfire of quangos. We wait to see if more cuts are in store for a department apparently far from the cool, ring-fenced groves of protected status.
Within Defra, water seems not to be an immediate priority. The 'structural reform plan' released this month has little to say about it. This may be no bad thing however, as in current circumstances 'not needing urgent attention' has attractions.
Having appeased the chancellor, ministers have turned to policy. This week's Discussion Paper on the Natural Environment will lead to a White Paper on biodiversity in the spring - ahead of the planned White Paper on water. Again, though, coming second scarcely matters: water will naturally have a prominent place in the current discussion, not least on integrated catchment management and the value of resource efficiency.
The delay (until June 2011) in the Water White Paper means all sides have longer to reflect on their needs and the needs of those they serve.
The long promised 'white paper on reform of the water industry to ensure more efficient use of water and to protect poorer households' should set a clearer path forward and any legislation will follow in November 2011.
In the meantime, ministers will consult on the Walker Review recommendations and on regulations flowing from the Flood and Water Management Act. Getting it right is what matters, not the speed with which it is done.
Contact: Dawn Waterman
