Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Climate Change – in the Senedd at 1:31 pm on 18 May 2022.
Thank you very much. Recently I had a meeting with a number of farmers in the Llanidloes area in Powys and I discussed with them concerns about how water levels are managed in the Clywedog reservoir and the impact this was having further down the valley, with agricultural land and property being affected by flooding as recently as February this year.
Now, my fellow Member for Montgomeryshire, Russell George, has already drawn the attention of the Senedd to this, and apparently there is considerable ambiguity regarding who manages the reservoir and the water discharges—whether it's the Environment Agency in England or NRW. I know that water is a very emotive issue in Wales and that this reservoir was established to provide water and to mitigate flooding away from Wales, so I'm sure you understand local concerns. And it is arguable that mismanagement across institutions has caused flooding on this side of the border. So, may I ask what discussions the Welsh Government has had with the different agencies to address any concerns regarding flood management on Wales's side and can you confirm whether there is an intention to expand the Clywedog reservoir in the future?