Written questions by Sullivan.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to (a) amend legislation and (b) increase local authority enforcement powers relating to fly-tipping.

This Government has committed to forcing fly-tippers to clean up the mess that they have created. This will build on the sanctions already available for fly-tipping which include fixed penalty notices of up to £1000, seizing of vehicles and prosecution through the courts which can lead to a significant fine, a community sentence or even imprisonment. We will provide an update on this commitment in due course. We encourage councils to make good use of their enforcement powers, and we are currently seeking powers through the Crime and Policing Bill to provide statutory guidance on fly-tipping enforcement. We have also announced a review of local authority powers to seize and crush vehicles of suspected fly-tippers, to identify how we could help councils make better use of this tool.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to (a) improve water quality in the river Thames and (b) protect local wildlife from (i) plastic pollution and (ii) sewage discharges.

The Water (Special Measures) Act will enable the Environment Agency (EA) to build on its transformation in the way it regulates the water industry, enabling it to take faster, firmer action against poor performance. It will speed up civil penalties for less serious offences, so that it can focus prosecutions on the most serious offending. It will require water companies to publish information regarding the frequency and duration of discharges from all emergency overflows within an hour of a discharge occurring. The EA has expanded the number of staff dedicated to regulating the water industry, including regulatory officers, data analysts, and enforcement specialists, whilst developing new digital systems and significantly increasing the number of water company inspections. The EA works with water companies to develop investigations into microplastics, having been recognised as a significant standalone issue. The water industry is also funding further investigations. This will shape understanding regarding how the levels of microplastics entering the environment through wastewater treatment processes can be reduced.