What progress has been made to review the purpose, role and status of Section 19 reports in relation to flooding following the review undertaken by Elwen Evans KC?
The Independent review of the local government Section 19 and Natural Resources Wales reports into extreme flooding in winter 2020-21 was published on 31 August 2023. It was followed by an oral statement on 12 September 2023. This was a Programme for Government commitment that has been completed.
The Flood and Coastal Erosion Committee (FCEC) have established a Section 19 working group and are working with Welsh Local Government Association and Local Authority partners to consider the review findings. This includes carrying out a consultation with Risk Management Authorities (RMAs) to identify high level requirements to develop supporting guidance for Section 19 flood investigation reports. The consultation took place during Autumn 2025 and the outcome report is scheduled for consideration by the FCEC in March to identify next steps for the next phase in the project.