Written questions by Wrigley.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions has she had with voluntary organisations and citizen science groups play in monitoring bathing water.

The Environment Agency has carried out a number of initiatives involving citizen scientists. For bathing waters it has recently rolled out the ‘Hello lamppost’ initiative where people can scan QR codes at specific bathing waters to provide it with information on the number of bathers at that location as well as get access to customised AI driven responses to any questions they have. It is also considering how to develop the Blueprint initiative which allows anyone with a smartphone to provide it with information linked to the water body they are at.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to increase the involvement of voluntary and citizen science groups in bathing water monitoring programmes.

The Environment Agency has carried out a number of initiatives involving citizen scientists. For bathing waters it has recently rolled out the ‘Hello lamppost’ initiative where people can scan QR codes at specific bathing waters to provide it with information on the number of bathers at that location as well as get access to customised AI driven responses to any questions they have. It is also considering how to develop the Blueprint initiative which allows anyone with a smartphone to provide it with information linked to the water body they are at.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department is taking steps to help support the expansion of real-time bathing water quality monitoring.

The Government introduced the Water Special Measures Act (2025), requiring real-time monitoring at every emergency overflow so the public can see what is happening locally, including in many bathing waters.100% of storm overflows have been fitted with event duration monitors (EDMs) since the end of 2023, and since the 1st of January 2025, water companies have been required to publish this data in near real-time. The Environment Agency’s existing practices for monitoring and classification of bathing waters in England are based on the World Health Organisation’s recommendations for the management of recreational waters and exceed the minimum requirements of the Bathing Water Directive at all Bathing Waters. All sample results are made available to the public as soon as they are analysed via the Swimfo website, so the public can make informed decisions about bathing. Throughout the bathing season, the EA also makes daily pollution risk forecasts for bathing waters where water quality may be temporarily reduced due to factors such as heavy rainfall, wind or the tide.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of using real-time water quality monitoring on improving bathing water management.

The Government introduced the Water Special Measures Act (2025), requiring real-time monitoring at every emergency overflow so the public can see what is happening locally, including in many bathing waters.100% of storm overflows have been fitted with event duration monitors (EDMs) since the end of 2023, and since the 1st of January 2025, water companies have been required to publish this data in near real-time. The Environment Agency’s existing practices for monitoring and classification of bathing waters in England are based on the World Health Organisation’s recommendations for the management of recreational waters and exceed the minimum requirements of the Bathing Water Directive at all Bathing Waters. All sample results are made available to the public as soon as they are analysed via the Swimfo website, so the public can make informed decisions about bathing. Throughout the bathing season, the EA also makes daily pollution risk forecasts for bathing waters where water quality may be temporarily reduced due to factors such as heavy rainfall, wind or the tide.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that bathing water quality standards are not reduced.

The Government is committed to improving the quality of our coastal waters, rivers and lakes for the benefit of the environment and everyone who uses it. The Environment Agency’s practice for monitoring water quality at bathing water sites reflects the European Commission’s Bathing Water Directive and the World Health Organisation’s recommendations for management of recreational waters. There are no plans to change this.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to maintain bathing water quality standards in line with international benchmarks, including those of the World Health Organisation and the Blue Flag programme.

The Government is committed to improving the quality of our coastal waters, rivers and lakes for the benefit of the environment and everyone who uses it. The Environment Agency’s practice for monitoring water quality at bathing water sites reflects the European Commission’s Bathing Water Directive and the World Health Organisation’s recommendations for management of recreational waters. There are no plans to change this.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential implications for its policies of locally developed bathing water frameworks that differ from national and international standards.

The Environment Agency has an ongoing statutory duty to monitor the water quality at designated bathing water sites in England in line with the Bathing Water Regulations 2013. I would encourage any local authority that is interested in developing a local framework to share their plans with Defra officials so that Defra can understand any interaction with national legislation.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 24 February 2026 to Question 115602, for what reasons Wolborough Fen SSSI is not included among the catchments selected by Natural England for early Environmental Delivery Plans, regarding a) the criteria used by Natural England when identifying catchments for initial Environmental Delivery Plans, and, b) the factors considered when determining whether a hydrologically sensitive site such as Wolborough Fen SSSI should fall within an early Environmental Delivery Plan area.

The first Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs) have been prioritised for designated sites where nutrient neutrality advice applies on the basis that it is a known environmental pressure where strategic solutions already exist. Wolborough Fen SSSI is not a designated site which nutrient neutrality currently applies to. The Government committed to return to Parliament after the first nutrients EDPs are made to issue a statement on the initial lessons learned from their development and implementation before introducing further EDPs covering other issues.

Food and Rural Affairs, what national policy framework governs the protection of hydrologically sensitive Sites of Special Scientific Interest where Environmental Delivery Plans are not in place.

The protection of Sites of Special Scientific Interest, including those that are hydrologically sensitive is governed principally by section 28 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and paragraph 193(b) of the National Planning Policy Framework.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment Natural England has made of hydrological impacts on wetland Sites of Special Scientific Interest being mitigated through post‑construction monitoring or compensation measures.

Post-construction monitoring or compensation measures are secured by the local planning authority through mechanisms such as conditions. Natural England has a programme of SSSI monitoring through feature assessments and the results are available on Designated Sites View.

Food and Rural Affairs, what scientific evidence Natural England is using to determine whether a development has a potential hydrological impacts on hydrologically dependent Sites of Special Scientific Interest, including wetlands such as Wolborough Fen.

Natural England assesses all available information on both impacts and mitigation and uses professional judgement and scientific expertise to provide advice to decision-makers.

Food and Rural Affairs, to ask the Department, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2026 to Question 115602 on Nature Conservation: Planning Permission, what guidance her Department issues to Natural England on assessing hydrological risks to wetland Sites of Special Scientific Interest when providing advice on major housing developments.

This is determined by various legislation and the National Planning Policy Framework.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2026 to Question 115602 on Nature Conservation: Planning Permission, what monitoring requirements are required for developments located near hydrologically sensitive wetlands.

Any monitoring requirement would depend on the nature of both the development and the wetland’s protected status.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has issued guidance on the statutory limits that apply to the number of unplanned water supply interruptions permitted in a single locality within a calendar year.

This Government has doubled compensation payments and introduced a range of new standards to the Guaranteed Standards Scheme (GSS) which requires companies to automatically make a payment to all affected customers if it fails to meet the standards set out in the scheme. An unplanned water supply interruption would be one such example. GSS payments are triggered for each interruption, and further automatic payments incurred for a continued lack of supply.

Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance her Department has issued to water companies on installing backup systems to prevent pump failures following short-duration electricity outages.

Under the Security and Emergency Measures Direction (SEMD), water companies are required to maintain a supply of water during emergencies, including short‑duration power outages. The SEMD obliges companies to assess risks and implement appropriate measures, and Defra works with them to monitor compliance and preparedness for short‑term risks.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the resilience of South West Water’s infrastructure serving the village of Ashcombe.

Decisions on sewer provision sit with South West Water, but if the community believes a mains connection is needed, a Section 101A application can be submitted for assessment. The EA can support residents with guidance on compliance with the General Binding Rules, their Environmental Permit and Section 101A application.

Food and Rural Affairs, following the approval in June 2020 of outline planning permission for the NA3 Wolborough Barton development, including safeguarding conditions to protect Wolborough Fen SSSI, whether Environmental Delivery Plans or biodiversity‑offsetting mechanisms can be applied to development proposals affecting the Fen; and what criteria her Department uses to determine the appropriateness of such measures at hydrologically sensitive protected sites.

The Government's initial focus for EDPs is nutrient pollution, with Natural England currently exploring their development for a number of specific catchments. A list of EDPs currently being prepared by Natural England, and the areas they may cover, was published on 22 December 2025. Wolborough Fen SSSI does not fall within the catchments currently identified for the early nutrient EDPs.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment the Department has made of how current planning policy frameworks influence the advisory and regulatory role of Natural England in relation to large housing allocations affecting protected habitats.

Defra’s Regulatory Landscape Review, led by Dan Corry, was published in April 2025. As part of our work to implement its recommendations, we will soon publish Strategic Policy Statements for Natural England and the Environment Agency. These will set out expectations for their contribution towards our growth mission, particularly around reaching our ambitious homebuilding targets and fast-tracking major infrastructure projects. The Corry review and the 2025 Post-Implementation Review of the Habitats Regulations both concluded that improvements could be made to the functioning of the Habitats Regulations. We are working with stakeholders to improve guidance on Habitats Regulations Assessments, including clarifying the respective roles of Natural England as a statutory consultee and planning authorities as decision makers on planning applications. Natural England is a statutory consultee on planning applications and offers advice and guidance to planning authorities, but planning authorities are ultimately responsible for planning decisions, including imposing planning conditions where necessary to make development acceptable. The National Planning Policy Framework reinforces statutory protections, including by setting out how planning conditions should be used.

Food and Rural Affairs, what information Natural England is required to publish regarding its engagement with developers and planning authorities in cases involving Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

Natural England (NE) is a statutory consultee under the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015 in respect of development that is within, or likely to affect, a Site of Special Scientific Interest. There is no statutory requirement for NE to publish its engagement with developers or local planning authorities when exercising this function. Local planning authorities are required to maintain a public planning register. While statutory consultee responses are commonly included, there is no explicit duty for them to publish such information.

Food and Rural Affairs, what specific targets the Department has set for improving the condition of SSSIs within Dartmoor National Park during this Parliament.

The Environmental Improvement Plan 2025 sets out an interim target for 50% of SSSI features to have actions on track by 2030, alongside a long‑term ambition for 75% of protected sites to be in favourable condition by 2042. The 50% of actions on track interim target will actively help improve the condition of SSSIs, including those in the Dartmoor National Park. The Protected Landscapes Targets and Outcomes Framework sets the ambition for 80% of all SSSIs within protected landscapes, which includes the Dartmoor National Park, to be in favourable condition by 2042. Natural England has also committed to completing updated condition assessments for all SSSIs by 2032. This will provide the evidence needed to target interventions effectively and inform future management decisions on Dartmoor and elsewhere.