Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:59 pm on 17 January 2017.
Leader of the house, you will be aware that properties in the village of Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant, in my constituency, had to be evacuated on Friday after being flooded by water from a burst main that carries water from Lake Vyrnwy to Liverpool. The flooding even damaged the new village hall, which, I remember well, the First Minister opened only in 2012. While the cause is not yet known, the local county councillor, Councillor Aled Davies, has informed me that the pipes fracture on a regular basis, often over farmland, which is serious but not as serious, and we are aware, of course, as well, that sections of the pipes date from the Victorian era. Whilst much of this responsibility, I accept, lies with the United Utilities, I would request a statement from the Cabinet Secretary for the environment on the Welsh Government’s flood risk management policy in this regard. I would also be grateful if the Cabinet Secretary could outline what pressure the Welsh Government or Natural Resources Wales can put on United Utilities to ensure that its infrastructure is indeed fit for purpose, so the community can be reassured that such incidents don’t happen again or, at the very least, are reduced as much as possible.