Consultation letter on implementing the abstraction elements of the Water Act 2003

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Area 2C,
Ergon House
Horseferry Road
London SW1P 2AL
Telephone: 020 7238 5093
Email: waterresources.consultations@defra.gsi.gov.uk

Cathays Park
Cardiff
CF10 3NQ
Telephone 029 2082 5420
Email: water@wales.gsi.gov.uk

29 April 2009

Dear Consultee,

Consultation on implementing the abstraction elements of the Water Act 2003

1. We are writing to invite views on a joint Defra and Welsh Assembly Government consultation on proposals for implementing the remaining abstraction provisions of the 2003 Act as they relate to the transitional provisions for:

  • the application for, and determination of, abstraction licences to bring previously exempt abstractions under license control;
  • the revocation of Orders made under section 33 WRA 1991 or similar provisions which currently provide exemptions from the restrictions on abstractions in certain areas; and
  • the promotion of exemptions for certain categories of abstraction or impounding works

2. The following documents may be found on Defra’s website at www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/water-act/

  • Consultation document (incorporating Annexes I to N thereto)
  • Draft regulations (Annexes A to F to the consultation)
  • Impact Assessments (Annexes G and H to the consultation)

3. We welcome your views and comments on the proposals. If you wish to obtain a hard copy of this consultation, please email Defra or the Welsh Assembly Government at the addresses in the following paragraph or you can contact us on the telephone numbers above.

Responses

4. Please email responses to waterresources.consultations@defra.gsi.gov.uk or send them to Adrian Brookes at the above address.

Consultees in Wales should also copy their replies to Olwen Minney, Water Policy Branch, Climate Change & Water Division, Welsh Assembly Government, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NQ. Or email: water@wales.gsi.gov.uk.

5. Responses should be received by 22 July 2009

Consultation Criteria

6. This consultation is in line with the Code of Practice on Consultations. This can be found at: http://www.berr.gov.uk/bre/

7. When this consultation ends, we intend to put a copy of the responses in the Defra library at Ergon House, London and the Welsh Assembly Government’s Publications Centre, Cardiff. This is so that the public can see them. Also, members of the public may ask for a copy of responses under freedom of information legislation.

8. If you do not want your response - including your name, contact details and any other personal information – to be publicly available, please say so clearly in writing when you send your response to the consultation. Please note, if your computer automatically includes a confidentiality disclaimer, that won’t count as a confidentiality request.

9. Please explain why you need to keep details confidential. We will take your reasons into account if someone asks for this information under freedom of information legislation. But, because of the law, we cannot promise that we will always be able to keep those details confidential.

10. We will summarise all responses and place this summary on the Defra website at www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/  This summary will include a list of names of organisations that responded but not people’s personal names, addresses or other contact details.

11. To see consultation responses and summaries, please contact us as follows:

Defra
Information Resource Centre
Lower Ground Floor
Ergon House
17 Smith Square
London SW1P 3JR

Telephone: 020-7238-6575
Email: defra.library@defra.gsi.gov.uk

Welsh Assembly Government
Publications Centre
Cathays Park
Cardiff CF10 3NQ

Telephone: 029 2082 3683
Email: assembly-publications@wales.gsi.gov.uk

Please give the library or publications centre 24 hours' notice. There is a charge for photocopying and postage.

12. If you have any comments or complaints about the consultation process, please address them to Marjorie Addo, Defra Consultation Co-ordinator, Area 7C, Nobel House,17 Smith Square, London SW1P 3JR, or email consultation.coordinator@defra.gsi.gov.uk.

13. Thank you for your help in this matter. If you have any queries please contact us as above.

Your Faithfully

Adrian Brookes
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Olwen Minney
Welsh Assembly Government

Page last modified: 1 June 2009
Page published: 29 April 2009