1997 No. 1362
LAND DRAINAGE
The Southern Regional Flood Defence Committee Order 1997
Made 28th May 1997
Coming into force 1st June 1997

Whereas the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food considers—
(a) it is necessary or expedient to make an order under section 16(5) of the Environment Act 1995 in relation to the regional flood defence committee specified in Article 1 of this Order;
1995 c. 25.
(b) it is inappropriate that the council of any county in relation to which an entry “none” appears in column (2) of the Schedule to this Order should appoint a member of the committee; and
(c) that one member of the committee should be appointed jointly by the councils for any county or London borough in relation to which an entry “one jointly” appears in column (2) of the Schedule to this Order.
Now, therefore, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by section 16(5) and (8) of the Environment Act 1995 and of all other powers enabling him in that behalf hereby makes the following Order:
Section 15(7) defines “the relevant Minister” and section 56(1) defines “the Minister”.

1 Title, commencement and interpretation
1 This Order may be cited as the Southern Regional Flood Defence Committee Order 1997 and shall come into force on 1st June 1997.
2 In this Order “the committee” means the Southern Regional Flood Defence Committee, being the regional flood defence committee established by section 14 of the Environment Act 1995 for which the councils of the counties and London boroughs specified in the Schedule to this Order are the constituent councils.

2 Number of members of the committee to be appointed by each constituent council
1 The number of members to be appointed to the committee by the council or councils of any county or London borough specified in column (1) of the Schedule to this Order shall be the number specified in the corresponding entry in column (2) of that Schedule.
In accordance with regulation 5(6) of the Local Government Changes for England Regulations 1994 (S.I.1994/867), references to a county council include a district council to which county functions have been transferred pursuant to a structural change.
2 Where more than one county or London borough is specified in any entry in column (1) of the Schedule to this Order, any appointment made to the committee by the councils for those counties or London boroughs shall be made jointly.

3 Revocations
Articles 3(2) and 3(3) of, and the Schedule to, the Southern Water Authority (Regional Land Drainage Committee) Order 1973 are revoked.
S.I.1973/1923.
Elliot Morley Parliamentary Secretary Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 28th May 1997

SCHEDULE NUMBER OF MEMBERS OF COMMITTEE TO BE APPOINTED BY EACH CONSTITUENT COUNCIL OR GROUP OF COUNCILS
Article 2
(1)	(2)
Counties and London boroughs	Number of Members
Berkshire	None
Brighton and Hove, East Sussex	One jointly
Hampshire	One
Hampshire, Portsmouth, Southampton	One jointly
Isle of Wight	One
Kent	Three
The London Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich	One jointly
Surrey	None
West Sussex	One
Wiltshire	None
In accordance with section 16(7) of the Environment Act 1995, this order has been so framed that the total number of members appointed under section 15(1)(a) and (b) of the Act is one less than the number of those appointed by or on behalf of constituent councils.

(This note is not part of the Order)
This Order specifies the number of members of the regional flood defence committee known as the Southern Regional Flood Defence Committee who are to be appointed by each constituent council or group of councils. The order takes account of changes in local government responsibilities which took effect on 1st April 1997. Regional flood defence committees of the Environment Agency were established by section 14 of the Environment Act 1995, replacing committees of the National Rivers Authority. The corresponding provisions of the order relating to the former committee are revoked.