Written questions by Maguire.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of designating all chalk streams as protected habitats under a bespoke legal framework.

Chalk streams are a source of national pride, and this Government is committed to protecting these iconic British waterways for future generations. We have announced an ambitious programme of reforms to clean up our rivers, lakes, and seas for good: we will ensure that chalk streams benefit from this era of reform. Chalk streams are already recognised by decision makers in planning as valued landscapes and sites of biodiversity value. Local Nature Recovery Strategies, which are being rolled out across England, will enable decision makers to identify and protect chalk streams as areas of importance for nature. At present, 8 chalk streams have additional SSSI or SAC designation, which offers enhanced protection and the setting of bespoke environmental targets.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the Environment Agency increases (a) routine monitoring and (b) inspection of rivers.

The Water (Special Measures) Act has introduced independent monitoring of every sewerage outlet, with water companies required to publish near real-time data (within an hour of a discharge occurring) for all emergency overflows, matching the pre-existing duty and meeting the government commitment to ensure monitoring of every outlet.The Environment Agency (EA) has increased its water quality charges to £149 million from 2025-26, ensuring water companies pay the cost of regulating the sector. These charges include permit charges on water companies for inspections and the new enforcement levy, which will enable EA to recover the costs of their enforcement activity.The Independent Water Commission has examined how to strengthen the regulation and delivery of water services to better support long-term water security, sustainable growth, and environmental protection. The Former Secretary of State provided an Oral Statement to Parliament in response to the final report and government will be taking forward a number of recommendations.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of updating the Environment Agency’s treatment plant discharge permits to account for seasonal low flows.

The Environment Agency (EA) considers seasonal variations, including periods of low river flow, when setting and reviewing environmental permits for water discharge and groundwater activities under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016. Where evidence shows that changing flow patterns, such as more frequent or prolonged low flows, affect environmental risk, the EA can review and vary permits accordingly. Defra keeps permitting approaches under review, taking account of evolving hydrological data, climate change projections, and wider environmental objectives to ensure permits remain protective, proportionate, and responsive to changing pressures. The Storm Overflow Discharge Reduction Plan spill frequency targets for storm overflows (ecological, bathing and rainfall targets) are defined as an average over 10 consecutive years. It is recognised that a 10-year assessment requires significant time to determine permit compliance and therefore, to secure early identification of underperforming storm overflows, the EA may use a shorter-term regulatory compliance assessment.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether the £104 billion investment in water and sewage infrastructure announced in July 2025 is aligned with figures proposed in water companies’ most recent Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans.

All English and Welsh water and sewerage companies published their final Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans (DWMPs), which informed the 2024 periodic review. These DWMPs were produced on a voluntary basis to industry-led guidance. The current cycle of DWMPs, which is now statutory, is supported by new Government guidance [Guidelines for Statutory Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans (DWMPs) - GOV.UK]. This cycle of DWMPs will inform the next periodic review and related water company infrastructure investment.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has a set timeline for achieving Good Ecological Status for all waterbodies in England.

The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD), transposed into our law through the Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) 2017, has an overall goal to aim to achieve Good Ecological Status (GES) for surface water by December 2027, subject to certain exemptions. Applying the exemptions provided for in WFD represents 77% of England’s water bodies to achieve GES. These goals set a very challenging ambition for the UK as WFD does for most European countries. The Government acknowledged last year in response to the Office of Environmental Protection’s report on Water Framework Directive Regulations that there had not been enough progress towards the Framework's goal over the last 15 years. Since then, the Government launched the Independent Water Commission, to consider how the current regulatory framework could be improved to drive progress and clean up our rivers, lakes and seas. The Government will be setting out its plans to do this in the coming period.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to expand phosphorus reduction targets to include smaller upstream wastewater treatment works.

Phosphorus levels in treated wastewater are monitored by the Environment Agency (EA), and the discharge of phosphorus from wastewater treatment works is managed in accordance with discharge permit conditions, also enforced by the Environment Agency. The Environmental Improvement Plan sets an interim target to reduce phosphorus loadings from treated wastewater into freshwaters in England by a 50% reduction by 31 Jan 2028. This will be delivered – along with the long-term target of an 80% reduction by 31 December 2038 – through upgrades to wastewater treatment works as part of the usual water company business planning cycle. The EA will support the upgrades by introducing new or strengthened phosphorus limits to wastewater treatment works’ permits, including at many smaller treatment works, requiring them to actively take steps to reduce phosphorus pollution for the first time.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to address (a) over-abstraction, (b) phosphorus loading, and (c) urban development pressures on chalk streams.

Restoring our chalk streams to better ecological health is a core ambition of our overall programme of work to clean up rivers, lakes and seas for good.We are tackling one of the biggest threats to chalk streams by reducing harmful abstraction by an estimated 126 million litres daily by 2030, protecting vital water flows to these fragile ecosystems. In June 2025, the Environment Agency (EA) updated its National Framework for Water Resources, which sets out the importance of chalk streams and how we will include their needs in all water resources planning and decision making.The government recognises that nutrient pollution is a key pressure affecting chalk streams. Under the Environment Act 2021, we have a legally binding target to reduce nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment from agriculture entering the water environment by 40% by 2038.With regard to impacts from urban development, the EA is a statutory consultee for planning applications and advise on the potential environmental impacts of a development, including matters relating to water.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the UK’s reliance on imported produce from countries facing high climate-related agricultural vulnerabilities.

To ensure a consistent supply of food, the UK relies upon a combination of strong domestic production from the UK’s agricultural and food manufacturing sectors, and a diverse range of overseas supply sources. Trade supports UK food supply resilience. This is due to the UK having diverse trade routes, strong international supply and purchasing power. At home, the Government’s recently published Good Food Cycle identifies priority outcomes for resilient domestic production for a secure supply of healthier food, and also to create conditions for the food sector to thrive and grow sustainably, including investment in innovation and productivity, and fairer more transparent supply chains. We have allocated £11.8 billion to sustainable farming and food production over this parliament.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to diversify UK fruit and vegetable supply chains away from climate-vulnerable regions.

To ensure a consistent supply of food, the UK relies on a combination of strong domestic production from the UK’s agricultural and food manufacturing sectors, and a diverse range of overseas supply sources. Trade supports UK food supply resilience. This is due to the UK having diverse trade routes, strong international supply and purchasing power. At home, the Government’s recently published Food Strategy identifies priority outcomes for resilient domestic production for a secure supply of healthier food, and also to create conditions for the food sector to thrive and grow sustainably, including investment in innovation and productivity, and fairer more transparent supply chains.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the press release entitled Roadmap to rebuild trust in water sector unveiled in major new report, published on 21 July 2025, what proportion of the £104 billion water infrastructure investment will be funded by (a) water companies, (b) the public purse and (c) private third-party investors.

Over the next five years water companies will spend £104 billion on investment and operation combined. This is more spending than at any previous price review. Ofwat set out in its final determinations that £44 billion of this spending would be on new infrastructure and resources. In the first instance, this will be provided by private investors. Ofwat has estimated that investors will provide £12.7 billion in new equity during the spending period. The remainder will be funded by water companies, in part through debt in order to spread the costs of investment over the lifetime of the new assets. In line with the funding model for the water industry, debt and equity investors will be repaid over time through customer bills. Business plans for all water companies have been published by Ofwat. Water company investment plans will require no contributions from general taxation.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to mitigate risks to delivery of proposed water infrastructure upgrades arising from the financial instability of water companies.

Water companies’ delivery of infrastructure and improved water demand management to secure our water supplies is a top priority and will be supported by our reforms of the sector. Defra work with regulators to closely monitor delivery through annual reviews of how companies against their targets. If they are not meeting their targets, they will receive a joint regulators letter setting out what they are failing on and when they must rectify these issues. We have established a ministerial Water Delivery Taskforce to monitor and intervene in projects that are essential for growth. This will also work alongside the regulators to hold the water companies to account to deliver their PR24 plans and scrutinising the costs of major projects in PR24.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of (a) drought, (b) flooding and (c) rising temperatures on the UK’s top 10 fruit and vegetable supplier countries.

The UK has a resilient food supply chain and is equipped to deal with situations with the potential to cause disruption. Our food security is built on supply from diverse sources, strong domestic production as well as imports through stable trade routes. Defra has commissioned research to gather evidence which explores how climate change could affect the production of fruit and vegetables in regions across the Mediterranean.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has met with representatives from Red Tractor to discuss the effectiveness of the Red Tractor assurance scheme regarding animal welfare standards.

The Red Tractor assurance scheme is independent from Government. We have not met with representatives of Red Tractor to discuss the effectiveness of the Red Tractor scheme standards.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support local authorities in their efforts to identify and remove traces of toxic lead in soil.

Lead is a naturally occurring element in soils due to the weathering of rocks and minerals, and elevated concentrations can result from historical industrial activity. The Government recognises the importance of managing land contamination to protect human health and the environment. Under Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, local authorities have a statutory duty to inspect their areas to identify contaminated land. Defra supports local authorities in fulfilling their duties through the Contaminated Land Statutory Guidance, which sets out the legal framework for risk assessment and decision-making under Part 2A. In addition, the Land Contamination Risk Management (LCRM) framework, recently updated by the Environment Agency, provides technical guidance on assessing, managing and remediating land contamination in line with current best practice.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to remove physical checks for thoroughbred horses at the border.

Regarding the Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement, as announced at the UK-EU Leaders Summit on 19 May 2025, the UK and EU have agreed to work towards a common Sanitary and Phytosanitary Zone to reduce delays and paperwork at the border. The movement of live animals is within scope of the agreement and will be considered as part of this. Our aim is to start the detailed negotiations as soon as possible, as we want to see businesses benefit from removing barriers to trade. Regarding the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM), we have been clear that compliance with the existing BTOM controls must continue until further notice, because the UK’s biosecurity and public health must continue to be protected. Where areas of the BTOM are yet to be delivered, we are in the process of reviewing our plans in response to the UK-EU Summit Common Understanding. We are aiming to share more detail on our approach soon. Please note that there are no plans to remove the border checks that currently apply to equines entering the UK from the Rest of the World. These checks remain a vital part of our commitment to safeguarding animal health and maintaining biosecurity.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the public health risks associated with PFAS contamination in drinking water; and if he will publish a list of affected catchment areas in England and Wales.

Since August 2024, the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) guidance has set a guideline limit of 100 nanograms for the sum of 48 named PFAS. The limit was agreed with the UK Health Security Agency to be a robust level with an appropriate margin to ensure our drinking water is not a danger to human health. There is no evidence of PFAS above 100 nanograms in drinking water supplies. The DWI continues to monitor publications and advice provided by the World Health Organization and the UK’s Committee on Toxicity in relation to PFAS and will continue to act accordingly based on the scientific evidence as it emerges.

Food and Rural Affairs, what progress he has made on the implementation of the Border Target Operating model for thoroughbred horses.

Regarding the Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement, as announced at the UK-EU Leaders Summit on 19 May 2025, the UK and EU have agreed to work towards a common Sanitary and Phytosanitary Zone to reduce delays and paperwork at the border. The movement of live animals is within scope of the agreement and will be considered as part of this. Our aim is to start the detailed negotiations as soon as possible, as we want to see businesses benefit from removing barriers to trade. Regarding the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM), we have been clear that compliance with the existing BTOM controls must continue until further notice, because the UK’s biosecurity and public health must continue to be protected. Where areas of the BTOM are yet to be delivered, we are in the process of reviewing our plans in response to the UK-EU Summit Common Understanding. We are aiming to share more detail on our approach soon. Please note that there are no plans to remove the border checks that currently apply to equines entering the UK from the Rest of the World. These checks remain a vital part of our commitment to safeguarding animal health and maintaining biosecurity.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the sources of PFAS pollution in UK rivers.

The Environment Agency (EA) has been co-ordinating a programme of work to better understand the presence of PFAS in the environment and develop a risk-based approach to manage identified risks.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to introduce legally binding targets for the reduction of untreated sewage discharges into chalk streams.

Our Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan targets improvements at 75% of high-priority sites, including chalk streams. This ensures that they are prioritised for improvement from the £11 billion investment to upgrade nearly 3,000 storm overflows across the country. The Plan, alongside the Water (Special Measures) Act, strengthens enforcement by giving regulators greater powers to hold polluters accountable. This marks the biggest boost in enforcement in a decade, helping protect these iconic British habitats for future generations.

Food and Rural Affairs, what support is available to local environmental groups undertaking citizen science river testing.

The Environment Agency (EA) recognises the value of citizen science data, and the additional insight it can provide to complement its monitoring and assessment work. With Spending Review funding, the EA is collaborating with citizen science groups in observing and measuring the environment. The data that is captured complements the EA’s own monitoring efforts and further increases understanding of water quality. This collaboration is already creating strong relationships with citizen science groups, and improving data integration. The recently published Technical Advisory Framework guides best practice in citizen science monitoring which can be found on the Environment Agency Water Hub. To get involved with citizen science including river testing it encourages all interested communities to contact their local catchment partnership - details on how to do this can be found in the Technical Advisory Framework.