Every parliamentary written question tabled by Michelle Welsh this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 1–7 of 7 · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer to Question UIN 118386, answered on 11 March 2026, how many incidents of sewage discharges occurred in Sherwood Forest constituency in 2025; and which rivers and bodies of water were most affected.
Data for 2025 is not yet available. We expect this to be published by April 2026.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to provide better access to historic data on sewage discharges.
The Government is improving public access to information on sewage discharges. Since Event Duration Monitoring (EDM) was introduced in 2015, water companies have progressively installed monitors on storm overflows. Coverage increased over time and reached 100% of storm overflows in England by the end of 2023. The Environment Agency has published annual EDM data on storm overflow spills since 2020, providing both national statistics and site level information. To strengthen transparency further, the Environment Agency publishes water quality and effluent data through its online Water Quality Explorer. As part of the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025, EDM data will be incorporated into this platform, enabling sewage discharge information to be accessed in a single place. The Water (Special Measures) Act 2025 also requires water companies to install EDM monitors at 50% of emergency overflows by 2030 and at 100% by 2035. Discharges must be reported within one hour of the initial spill, with data subject to independent scrutiny by the water regulators. Historic information prior to EDM installation is more limited and was not collected consistently. Available datasets continue to be published where they exist to support transparency and public scrutiny.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to stop Severn Trent Water from discharging sewage in Sherwood Forest constituency.
The Water (Special Measures) Act 2025 makes it a statutory requirement for all water companies to produce annual Pollution Incident Reduction Plans showing how they will meet our expectation of reducing pollution incidents by 40%. Between 2025 and 2030, a historic amount, over £10 billion, is being invested in improving nearly 2,500 storm overflows in England, targeted at those affecting the most sensitive sites for ecological and human health. To reduce spills from storm overflows in Sherwood Forest, Severn Trent is investing in its Storm Overflow Action Plan, which focuses on reducing rainwater entering sewers, increasing storage capacity and improving wastewater treatment. All of the approximately 15,000 storm overflows in England are now monitored, with discharge data being published in near real time. The Environment Agency has asked companies to install new flow-to-full monitors at wastewater treatment works. to ensure that permit conditions are met during the sewage treatment process.
Food and Rural Affairs, how many incidents of sewage discharges occurred in Sherwood Forest constituency in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025; and which rivers and bodies of water were most affected.
In 2024, Severn Trent Water Limited reported 414 sewage spills through storm overflows from their permitted assets (sewage treatment works and combined sewer overflows) in the Sherwood Forest constituency.
Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department is taking steps to prevent senior Environment Agency staff from moving to roles in the private water industry after leaving their position.
External Appointment Departure rules are in place to assess and manage this leaver risk. Employees must notify the Environment Agency (EA) of planned moves, enabling actual or perceived conflicts to be assessed and managed. During notice periods, the EA removes decision‑making powers and changes duties if actual or perceived conflicts are identified. Last year the EA strengthened its policy and now includes a provision for disclosure and conflict of interest management in senior contracts of employment.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to tackle littering; and whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of encouraging companies to increase (a) customer education on littering and (b) development of biodegradable packing.
Litter is a blight on our communities and the environment. Local councils are responsible for keeping streets clear of litter and have been given enforcement powers to help them do so. The Government is targeting some of the most commonly littered items to reduce the presence of these on our streets. The sale of single-use vapes was banned on 1 June and a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) will go live in England, Northern Ireland, and Scotland in October 2027. The DRS will introduce a redeemable deposit on single-use in-scope drinks containers which can be redeemed when the empty container is returned. Litter composition data indicates that 55% of litter by volume is made up of containers in-scope of DRS. DRS will significantly reduce this form of litter. The UK is a leading voice in the negotiations for a new international, legally binding treaty on plastic pollution and has taken an ambitious stance at all sessions of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC). We have called for an agreement that addresses the full lifecycle of plastics, in order to end plastic pollution by 2040. The UK will continue to work with other countries, including as a member of the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution, to reach an ambitious agreement at the resumed session in August 2025. We have not made an assessment of the potential merits of encouraging companies to increase customer education on littering or on developing more biodegradable packaging. We remain concerned that many types of plastic labelled as biodegradable do not actually break down in the natural environment, and that people may be more likely to litter these items.
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of border checks on the cut flower industry.
The Government is committed to protecting our biosecurity and we are using a risk-based approach to maintain the appropriate level of controls. Defra will continue to monitor for new and emerging risks and review the border control checks introduced under the Border Target Operating Model. GB plant health services have increased the number of plant health inspection staff to service the demand for import checks in England and Wales of EU plants and plant products. Inspector levels are being monitored to ensure these meet demand and deliver checks in line with set Service Level Agreements and ensure minimal trade disruption. Certain EU Medium Risk cut flowers have been subject to pre-notification since 1 January 2022. EU Medium Risk cut flowers have required a Phytosanitary Certificate since 31 January 2024, but there are now inspections for EU Medium Risk goods at the border since 30 April 2024. To reduce and prevent the introduction and establishment of invasive non-native species (INNS) we have prioritised horticulture as one of the top 5 pathways of introduction. We have developed a Horticulture Pathway Action Plan, available here: https://www.nonnativespecies.org/biosecurity/pathway-action-plans/horticulture-pap-for-great-britain/ which aims to address the most likely routes by which INNS can get into the country.