Commentary Part 3: General Section 47: Pre-consolidation amendments
427.One of the recommendations of the Pitt review was to consolidate the legislation applying to all sources of flood risk. This section is intended to allow for this consolidation. It enables the Secretary of State to amend the Act, along with the Water Industry Act 1991, the Water Resources Act 1991, the Land Drainage Act 1991, the Reservoirs Act 1975, the Highways Act 1980 (so far as relevant to water), the Environment Act 1995 (so far as relevant to water), the Public Health Act 1936 (so far as relevant to water) and the Coast Protection Act 1949. These amendments must be for the purposes of standardising provisions, simplifying procedures or correcting errors. Amendments are to be made by order, subject to the affirmative resolution procedure. No order may be made without the consent of the Welsh Ministers, and unless a consolidation Bill has been presented to either House of Parliament.