Debate contribution: Water, Sustainable Drainage and Flood Management Bill: Extension of Committee Stage

Debate contribution by Mr Peter Martin on 13 October 2025.

MLA

Mr Peter Martin

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

13 October 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Committee Business

Heading

Water, Sustainable Drainage and Flood Management Bill: Extension of Committee Stage

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5176209

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Thank you very much, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. Apparently, there is a very important football game this evening, so I will try to keep my remarks to an hour. As Members will be aware, the Water, Sustainable Drainage and Flood Management Bill was formally referred to the Committee for Infrastructure for its scrutiny on 17 September. As I outlined at the Second Stage debate, the Committee undertook some pre-legislative scrutiny in April 2024 to examine the key areas that were being proposed by the Department prior to the Bill's formal introduction just before summer this year. At its meeting on 17 September, the Committee received oral evidence from departmental officials on key aspects of the Bill and noted that it seeks to amend and enhance existing legislation in the following areas: to decrease pollution in watercourses; to enhance our ability to withstand extreme weather events, particularly flooding and drought, through strengthened flood resilience; to encourage the use of sustainable draining systems, commonly known as SuDS, as a preferred method for managing surface water; and to improve water resource management through the introduction of more environmentally friendly solutions for managing water resources. In essence, it is quite a small Bill, with 16 clauses, but its reach is quite wide, with measures that aim to support our resistance to the above events. It forms part of the Infrastructure Minister's three-pronged approach to improve waste water infrastructure in Northern Ireland, and, therefore, it has a broader strategic reach into our communities. At recent meetings, the Committee has received procedural advice from the Bill Office and has considered its approach and with whom it might wish to engage during that key phase of scrutinising the legislative proposals. The Committee notes that many of the provisions give the Department with regulation-making powers. I am sure that the Committee will want to examine the scope and intended use of those powers when considering each element of the Bill. We want to ensure that the Assembly has sufficient understanding of the issues to support the appropriate scrutiny of the resulting delegated legislation. The Committee will be keen to ensure that the right balance is struck between supporting efficient delivery by the Department and ensuring credible oversight. At its subsequent meetings on 24 September and 1 October, the Committee gave further consideration to the list of stakeholders who could provide valuable insight into the issues that the Bill seeks to address and how it will work in reality. In addition, the Committee considered an outline timetable for its scrutiny, having noted during oral evidence on 17 September that the Department was in the process of finalising a consultation on the use of SuDS in new housing developments, which will fall under powers proposed in the Bill if it is successfully enacted. That consultation is due to conclude on 19 December. Given the consultation's relevance to the Bill, the Committee considers it essential that sufficient time is factored into its scrutiny to allow for the consultation to conclude and for the Committee to consider any policy proposals made by the Department. That approach will provide the Committee with sufficient opportunity to examine such details and any proposed policy direction for the regulation-making powers arising from the consultation. Examining those aspects in tandem will help the Committee to consider the Department's response and assist with suggestions that will strengthen or enhance the Bill and, where necessary, to seek assurances from the sponsoring Department. At its meeting on 1 October, the Committee agreed its timetable, which proposes that the Committee Stage be extended to 3 July 2026. I wish to provide some reassurance about that date. The Committee fully intends to report comfortably in advance of that, if everything goes to plan. We are working to a timetable on that assumption, and we intend to give the Bill priority and to be efficient and effective in our approach. We hope also to have a ports Bill, as indicated in the Executive's legislative programme that I spoke about a couple of hours ago, as well as other business to conclude in the remainder of the mandate. It is often said that the end date is a limit, not a target — in fact, the Chair of my former Committee made that very comment in relation to another Bill. The Committee will work closely with the Department and with stakeholders to conclude the process robustly and efficiently. While there is a clear expectation that the Committee Stage will conclude much earlier, the date of 3 July 2026 gives the Committee a sufficient safety net to allow for thorough scrutiny of all dimensions of the Bill, should deeper examination of some aspects be necessary. The Committee's call for evidence was also agreed. I encourage everyone to reflect on their views on the Bill to enable the Committee to use the time available and to help to shape the Bill accordingly.

816 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 13:28 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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