Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Climate Change – in the Senedd at 1:36 pm on 18 May 2022.
Yes, I was aware that Minister Pow had visited the reservoir. And in fact, I discussed it with her beforehand, in an inter-ministerial group, but I think she probably mentioned that at the time. We're very keen to work across the border for the catchment areas that flow across the border, and indeed to share good practice where that's effective for the communities on either side of the border. Because, obviously, there are a number of catchments in England that don't cross into the Welsh border, but can nevertheless learn lessons from some of the natural flood protections that we're doing here in Wales, for example. So, we have had that exchange of letters.
And you know probably better than I do, actually, Russell, about the River Severn and its environmental importance as a special area of conservation river for Wales, for a whole series of uses, including drinking water and flood protection, drought protection, and so on. So, part of the long-term plan that I just mentioned in answer to Cefin Campbell is to look at what exactly it is that we're asking of the landowners—the riparian landowners and the adjoining landowners—along the River Severn catchment and around the reservoir, to work out what the long-term plan for that should look like, ought to look like, in collaboration with those landowners, and then to bring forward what we expect will be legislative change in order to bring about the ability to better manage that system. But that's a long-term strategy, which is in progress at the moment, and, obviously, I'm very happy to keep you and Cefin and others informed as we go ahead with that process.