Written questions by Maguire.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support local authorities in improving surface water drainage to prevent overloading of combined sewer systems.

The Government is strongly committed to improving the implementation of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) and ensuring adoption and maintenance arrangements. New national standards make clear that SuDS should be designed to cope with changing climatic conditions as well as delivering wider water infrastructure benefits in the form of flood prevention and storm overflow reduction, offering reuse opportunities, reducing run off, and helping to improve water quality, amenity, and biodiversity. The standards are a material consideration in deciding planning applications in accordance with paragraphs 181 and 182 of the National Planning Policy Framework.The Environment Agency has a strategic overview role for all sources of flooding, including surface water; playing an active role in supporting and enabling local authorities to plan and adapt to current and future surface water flood risk.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of nationalising Thames Water.

The Government has no plans to nationalise Thames Water or any other water company. It would cost billions of pounds and take years to unpick the current ownership model, slowing down our reforms and only worsening sewage pollution. However, this Government stands ready to intervene to ensure the continued provision of vital public services – through the use of a Special Administration Regime (SAR) – should this be required. A SAR is not a form of renationalisation.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support chalk stream restoration in (a) Hogsmill River and (b) the rest of the South East.

The Environment Agency (EA) is working with the Chalk Stream Restoration Group, and other partners, to protect and restore chalk streams across the South East. For example, it is ensuring that water companies have ambitious but affordable programmes that address the threats to chalk streams, including restoring sustainable abstraction in chalk catchments and reducing the impacts of discharges from storm overflows. It also continues to work with partners to lead or support numerous chalk stream restoration projects. The Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) is a programme used to continuously improve the water industry and thus protect our water and waterbodies. There are 8 WINEP water quality actions that Thames Water will undertake in AMP8 (between 2025 and 2030) at Hogsmill. The EA have also been supporting species recovery of water voles on the Hogsmill.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with Ofwat on (a) the financial viability of water companies and (b) protections for consumers in the event of insolvency.

Ofwat is an independent regulator that monitors the financial position of water companies, taking action when companies need to strengthen their long-term financial resilience. For example, in March 2023, Ofwat utilised powers provided by the Environment Act 2021 to modify licences to prevent water companies paying dividends where financial resilience is compromised. In his first week in office, the Secretary of State met water companies’ chief executives, where they signed up to a tough set of initial measures for reform, including on putting customers and the environment at the heart of their businesses. The Secretary of State meets with stakeholders regularly such as Ofwat to discuss a range of issues. Records of these meetings are published on Defra: ministerial overseas travel, and meetings - GOV.UK.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of sewage spills on biodiversity in rivers in Surrey.

For too long, water companies have discharged unacceptable levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas. The Environment Agency assesses all reported sewage spills, considering impacts on water quality and ecology. For significant incidents, it may carry out enhanced monitoring, such as fish mortality counts and invertebrate surveys. Routine ecological monitoring across Surrey catchments, supported by Citizen Science, helps track river health, with targeted investigations used where deterioration is detected. As part of Price Review 24, Thames Water will undertake significant investment programme to improve the environment over the 2025-30 period. This includes £740.31 million to reduce storm overflow use and £1.2 billion to prevent nutrient pollution. Ofwat expects reduction of the storm overflows use by at least 29% over the next five years.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of Ofwat’s regulatory powers to hold water companies to account for repeated pollution incidents.

The Government remains clear that regulators must be empowered to hold water companies to account, which is why the Water Special Measures Act delivers on our commitment to put water companies under special measures by strengthening regulation to clean up our waters. The Act will turn around the performance of water companies and ensure they are held to account where they do not deliver for customers and the environment. As a result, companies are now not permitted to pay bonuses to water bosses that oversee poor environmental and customer outcomes. In May, we also announced a record 81 criminal investigations have been launched into water companies. This is the toughest crackdown on water companies in history. In addition to the Water Special Measures Act, the Government established the Independent Water Commission to support a wider reset of the sector, including looking at regulators and their powers. The interim report was published on 3 June, and a final report is due this summer. The Government will then the Commission’s recommendations.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to take steps to ensure that fines levied against Thames Water are used to fund environmental restoration projects on (a) Hogsmill River, (b) River Mole and (c) other affected rivers.

The Water Restoration Fund, which launched in April 2024, is reinvesting funding based on water company environmental fines and penalties into projects to improve the water environment. Funding is based on water company fines and penalties from April 2022 until October 2023. Up to £11 million of funding was made available on a competitive basis to support a range of water restoration projects. Applications were welcomed from a wide range of projects to improve the water environment and water management, such as re-meandering rivers, removing invasive non-native species, creating and restoring water-dependent habitats and managing and reducing sources of water pollution.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to reduce microplastic pollution from combined sewer outflows.

Tackling marine litter and plastic pollution is a priority for the UK Government, which is why we are working domestically and internationally to implement measures that will prevent macro-sized plastic litter which are sources of microplastics from reaching rivers, seas and the ocean in the first place. As part of Price Review 2024 (PR24), which runs from 2025–2030, water companies will be delivering record levels through the £22.1 billion Water Industry National Environment Programme. This includes over £11 billion to improve nearly 3,000 storm overflows across England and Wales which OfWat expects will reduce storm overflow discharges by 45% by 2030, compared to 2021 levels. This will help to reduce discharges of raw sewage which can contain organic pollutants, microplastics, pharmaceuticals, nutrients, and heavy metals, as well as visible litter that is flushed down toilets. We are also taking forward investigations through the water industry’s Chemical Investigations Programme, to understand how we can reduce the levels of microplastics entering the water environment through treated wastewater. Microplastics have been recognised as a significant standalone issue and the water industry are funding six further investigations between 2025 and 2030.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to require the Environment Agency to revise environmental permits to enforce compliance with the Urban Waste Water Treatment Regulations 1994.

The Environment Agency (EA) enforces the Urban Waste Water Treatment Regulations (UWWTR) through environmental permits. These set discharge limits, nutrient removal standards, and monitoring and reporting requirements, based on population size and receiving water sensitivity. Operators must regularly report data, which the EA assesses for compliance. Enforcement action is taken for breaches. Under the Environmental Permitting Regulations, the EA also reviews permits periodically to ensure they stay aligned with UWWTR, capturing changes in population, treatment standards, or sensitive area designations. This ensures permits remain current, effective, and protective of the environment.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of untreated sewage overflows on levels of (a) microplastic, (b) nano plastic and (c) macro plastic pollution in rivers.

Tackling marine litter and plastic pollution is a priority for the UK Government, which is why we are working domestically and internationally to implement measures that will prevent plastic and other litter from reaching rivers and ocean in the first place. As part of Price Review 2024 (PR24), which runs from 2025–2030, water companies will be delivering record levels through the £22.1 billion Water Industry National Environment Programme. This includes over £11 billion to improve nearly 3000 storm overflows across England and Wales. This will help to reduce discharges of raw sewage which can contain organic pollutants, microplastics, pharmaceuticals, nutrients, and heavy metals, as well as visible litter that is flushed down toilets. We are also taking forward investigations through the Chemical Investigations Programme, to understand how we can reduce the levels of microplastics entering the water environment through wastewater. Microplastics have been recognised as a significant standalone issue and the water industry are funding six further investigations between 2025 and 2030. The technology for accurately measuring such small, nanometre-sized particles in complex samples such as river water is scientifically challenging. My officials are maintaining a close watch on emerging scientific evidence reporting the presence of nano plastics and the possible risks which they may pose in the water environment.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of consumer protections for billpayers of water services where the agreed environmental standards have not been met.

This Government is strengthening consumer protections by bringing forward secondary legislation to introduce new and increased compensation - double the previous amounts or more - which will be compulsory for water companies to pay customers for poor service, underscoring our commitment to hold companies to account and stand up for consumers.  Furthermore, our Water (Special Measures) Act delivered on our promise to put water companies under tough special measures, by strengthening regulation as a first legislative step towards improving the sector. As part of the Act, Ofwat has new powers to ban the payment of unfair bonuses if environmental standards are not met.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of making employers of gamekeepers vicariously liable for their actions.

The introduction of new regulation, such as vicarious liability, requires evidence that it will be effective. Vicarious liability occurs where one person can be held liable for the actions of another person. With regards to gamekeepers, this could mean a manager or employer would be held criminally liable for an unlawful act perpetrated by their gamekeeper, for example the unlawful killing of birds of prey. Vicarious liability for such acts has been introduced in Scotland but so far there is no compelling evidence to show that its introduction has had a significant deterrent effect on those who persecute wildlife. We will continue to monitor the situation in Scotland to consider whether vicarious liability is a necessary and proportionate approach in tackling crime in England.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to prevent eutrophication in waterways.

Eutrophication from excess nutrient pollution is a key pressure affecting our rivers, lakes, and seas. As part of Price Review 24 final determinations, Ofwat has allowed £4.795 billion of investment to improve water quality by reducing phosphorus pollution in England and Wales. We will also require water companies to upgrade 440 wastewater treatment works by 2030, to meet strict phosphorus targets, reducing harmful nutrient pollution from treated wastewater. We have committed to a rapid review of the Environmental Improvement Plan which will set out how Defra will deliver our legally binding targets. The levels of nitrogen losses from agriculture are unacceptable. That is why we are focused on working with farmers across the country to reduce pollution and clean up our waters. Regulations are in place to address nitrogen and wider pollution from agriculture and the Environment Agency conducts over 4,000 inspections nationally each year to support farmers to comply.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will hold discussions with Thames Water on the adequacy of the time it takes to stop sewage overflows.

My officials and I have regular conversations with Thames Water and other water companies to discuss a range of activities, including the reduction of sewage discharges. I am also meeting with the boards of all water companies, including Thames Water, to set out the government’s expectation of improved performance across all metrics. Cleaning up England’s rivers, lakes and seas is a priority for the government. The government has taken immediate and substantial action to address the performance of water companies who are not delivering for the environment or their customers.That is why we are placing water companies under special measures through the Water (Special Measures) Act. This will drive meaningful improvements in the performance and culture of the water industry as a first important step in enabling wider, transformative change across the water sector. Furthermore, as part of Ofwat’s Price Review 2024 settlement, Thames Water will undertake a significant investment programme to improve the environment over the 2025-30 period. These investments include: £784 million to reduce the use of storm overflows and £1.2 billion to prevent nutrient pollution. Ofwat expects the reduction of the use of storm overflows by at least 29% by 2029-30, down to an average of 14.2 spills per overflow.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with Thames Water on the use of their emergency loan.

The Government and Ofwat – the financial regulator for the water sector – are carefully monitoring the situation, and Ofwat is working closely with the company to strengthen their long-term financial resilience within the context of its license and broader statutory obligations. Fundamentally it is for the company to solve their issues of financial resilience. It is not for the Government to tell a private company how to manage their finances. It would be inappropriate to comment on ongoing legal proceedings. We prepare for a range of scenarios across our regulated industries – including water – like any responsible Government would.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that pubs are not charged twice for recycling glass bottles under Extended Producer Responsibility rules.

Packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (pEPR) obligates brands and packaging producers to pay the costs of managing household packaging waste. In most cases, this will not be individual pubs but the business supplying the pub with packaged goods. It is up to individual producers whether to pass these costs on to their customers. The pEPR fees are intended to incentivise producers to use less packaging and to ensure the packaging they do use is environmentally sustainable. For example, where producers use reusable packaging, they will only pay a pEPR fee the first time it is used. Reuse will therefore provide a significant decrease in fees and customers, such as pubs, will see a decrease in waste management costs. Industry is already making progress in this area, the British Beer and Pub Association and ABInbev recently hosted a well-attended glass bottle reuse workshop where UK glass reuse trials were showcased. This included a Greene King trial which started with 25 pubs last year and which will soon be expanded to several hundred pubs, and the multi-retailer glass reuse trial that is due to start in Newport later this year.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of environmental contamination caused by sewage discharges by water companies in Epsom and Ewell constituency.

For too long, water companies have discharged unacceptable levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas. That is why we are placing water companies under special measures through the Water (Special Measures) Act. The Act will drive meaningful improvements in the performance and culture of the water industry as a first important step in enabling wider, transformative change across the water sector. To further support understanding of the impact that sewage discharges have on the receiving watercourse, a programme to rollout Continuous Water Quality Monitors is beginning in Price Review period (PR24), which runs from 2025-2030. Monitors will be installed near 25% of storm overflows and sewage treatment works in scope for the programme in this period. Sites prioritised for monitoring will be based on Defra’s priority areas. During PR24, Thames Water will invest £784 million to reduce the use of storm overflows, including in the Epsom and Ewell constituency. Additional improvement actions also include increasing treatment capacity at sewage works, providing storage for high flows, reducing flows entering the system and provision of treatment for storm overflows which are separate from the main treatment route. There are no sewage treatment works in the Epsom and Ewell constituency.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has put a contingency plan in place in the event that Thames Water becomes financially unsustainable.

The Government and Ofwat – the financial regulator for the water sector – are carefully monitoring the situation with Thames Water, and Ofwat continues to engage with Thames Water to support it in improving its resilience within the context of its licence and broader statutory obligations. The company remains stable. However, we do want to provide reassurance that we are prepared for a range of scenarios across our regulated industries – including water – as any responsible Government should be.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of flooding on (a) football pitches and (b) other local community assets; and if he will ensure that water companies compensate community organisations for damage caused.

Protecting communities around the country from flooding is one of the Secretary of State’s five core priorities. As part of the Government’s Plan for Change, a record £2.65 billion will be invested over two years in better protecting 52,000 properties by March 2026. Lead local flood authorities (unitary and county authorities) are required to manage local flood risks from surface water, groundwater and ordinary watercourses. Local flood risks should be identified and managed as part of a local flood risk management strategy. In managing these risks, the lead local flood authority will work closely with other risk management authorities. This includes water companies, which have a duty to maintain their sewers, under Section 94 of the Water Industry Act 1991, to ensure their areas are effectually drained. To improve understanding of current and future floor risk from rivers, the sea and surface water in England the Environment Agency has just published its new National Flood Risk Assessment. This data is available to everyone, improving individuals’ understanding of their local flood risk.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to tackle underperforming wastewater treatment plants.

The Government has taken immediate and substantial action to address the performance of water companies who are not delivering for the environment or their customers. The Water (Special Measures) Bill will provide the most significant increase in enforcement powers for the regulators in a decade, giving them the teeth they need to take tougher action against water companies in the next investment period. The Bill will drive meaningful improvements in the performance and culture of the water industry as a first important step in enabling wider, transformative change across the water sector. Separately, the regulators have also launched the largest criminal and civil investigations into water company sewage discharges ever They will take action if any illegality is identified. As part of their investigation, Ofwat has proposed fines of £168 million against the first three companies. This investigation is a priority for Ofwat, and it will continue to work as quickly as possible on all remaining companies. Additionally, through the next investment period, which runs from 2025 – 2030, there will be improvements at wastewater treatment works protecting rivers across England and Wales.