This document establishes the specific legal date upon which the Southern Regional Flood Defence Committee assumed its statutory powers and responsibilities. The order was issued by the British government under the authority of the Water Act 1989, which reorganized the management of water resources and flood defense infrastructure across England and Wales. It serves as a formal administrative instrument to enact legislative provisions regarding regional water governance.

Legal professionals and government archivists utilize this text as a primary source for verifying the timeline of administrative transitions in UK water policy. It is a highly specialized document intended for regulatory reference rather than general reading.