Written questions by Wilson.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to reduce plastic pollution across the UK.

The Government recognises the scale and impact of plastic pollution on the environment and is focused on preventing and reducing plastic and other litter entering the environment. We have a number of restrictions on unnecessary single use plastic products, and we will continue to review the latest evidence on problematic products and/or materials to take a systematic approach, in line with circular economy principles, to reduce the use of unnecessary single-use plastic products and encourage reuse solutions. In November 2025, the Government legislated to ban the supply and sale of wet wipes containing plastic in England, marking a major step forward in tackling the plastic and microplastic pollution which harms our waterways.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of the Environment Agency's decision to introduce charge funded regulation.

The Environment Agency’s (EA) decision to introduce charge-funded regulation is enabled by the Water (Special Measures) Act, which allows the EA to recover the full costs of a broader range of enforcement activities from water companies. This approach is grounded in the polluter-pays principle and is intended to ensure that those responsible for environmental harm meet the costs associated with addressing it. Allowing the EA to recover these costs provides a more sustainable and transparent basis for funding its regulatory and enforcement work. This includes activities such as undertaking prosecutions and civil sanctions, responding to pollution incidents, revoking permits where necessary, and meeting future enforcement needs. The Government believes that increasing cost recovery in this way helps ensure that regulation of the water sector is both robust and properly resourced, supporting stronger environmental protections and more effective oversight.

Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to stop operator self monitoring of the water industry.

The Government has committed to ending ‘operator self-monitoring’ so water companies will no longer mark their own homework on pollution incidents. We are developing a new strengthened Open Monitoring approach for monitoring wastewater. This will be driven by greater digitisation and automation, making data accessible to the public in near-real time, and helping to restore public trust in the system. In parallel, we are optimising the current monitoring framework to improve our ability to assess the condition of the whole water environment. These measures build on the significant transparency reforms already delivered, including full coverage of event duration monitoring at storm overflows and the public release of near-real time spill data. By 2035, the government has committed to complete the rollout of continuous water quality monitors on all storm overflows. This work will support a transition to a more modern and transparent monitoring system and underpin future decisions on ending operator self‑monitoring.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many sewage works suffered a structural malfunction resulting in sewage discharge in each of the last five years.

The Environment Agency has published data on the number of water company wastewater pollution incidents by source, including from sewage treatment works, over the last five years. Water and Sewerage Pollution Incident Report for 2016-2024.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many prosecutions has the Environment Agency brought on illegal sewage spills by water companies in each year from 2000.

The Environment Agency has brought a total of 611 prosecutions against water companies for offences since 2000.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many sewage discharges there have been into the (a) River Thames and (b) River Crane in the last five years.

The following water companies have permitted discharges of treated final effluent into the River Thames:Thames Water Utilities Ltd into the River Thames – 19Southern Water Services – 2Anglian Water Services – 4Albion Water – 1 35 of the most polluting Combined Sewer Overflows in London have now been intercepted by the London Tideway Tunnels. These have prevented 19 million tonnes of storm sewage polluting the River Thames since they became operational in 2025.

Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Twickenham of 17 November 2025 on the Teddington Direct River Abstraction.

I thank the Honourable Member for Twickenham for writing and apologise for the delay in response. I have followed this up with the department will and respond shortly.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of taking steps to help protect animals from the grindadrap.

The UK strongly opposes the hunting of all cetaceans other than some limited activities by indigenous people for clearly defined subsistence needs. Cessation of the grindadrap, or “The Grind” would be a positive step in improving the conservation and resilience of these cetacean populations. The UK will maintain its strong support for the global moratorium on commercial whaling at this year’s International Whaling Commission (IWC70) meeting. UK Ministers and officials also continue to highlight our strong opposition to the practice at every appropriate opportunity, including during formal UK-Faroe Islands bilateral fisheries negotiations in November 2025, and through our diplomatic channels with the Faroese Representation in London. The UK will continue to advocate for the end of cetacean hunts in the Faroe Islands at every appropriate opportunity. The Faroese Government is in no doubt as to the strength of feeling and opposition in the UK.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of requiring boat owners using canals and rivers to generate their own renewable energy power.

Consideration of the inland waterways sector is included in the Department for Transport’s Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy (page 29) and accompanying Analytical Annex (page 12), published in 2025.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the position paper by the Association of Inland Navigation Authorities entitled The challenges around the increasing residential use of waterways.

Navigation authorities are not housing authorities. Defra will consider the matters raised in the Association of Inland Navigation Authorities position paper about the residential use of inland waterways, and will engage with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on the housing-related and other issues that fall within its policy responsibilities.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the Environment and Climate Change Committee's recommendations published in its policy letter to her, dated 28 October 2025, on Waste Crime.

The Department is considering the Environment and Climate Change Committee's recommendations on waste crime and will respond in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to publish the Access to Nature Green Paper.

The Government has announced, as part of the Environmental Improvement Plan 2025, that we will bring forward an Access to Nature Green Paper within this Parliament to consult on proposals to improve and expand public access to the outdoors.

Food and Rural Affairs, when he will publish the formal response to Sir John Cunliffe's Independent Water Commission's final report.

The Government will respond to the recommendations in full via a White Paper, published later this year. The White Paper will outline the Government’s vision for the future of the water sector, marking the most fundamental reset to our water system in a generation. Following this, we will introduce reforms through primary legislation when parliamentary time allows, bringing forward root and branch reform to secure better outcomes for customers, and the environment.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for her Department’s policies of the report by the European Environmental Agency Report entitled Environmental noise in Europe 2025, published on 23 June 2025.

Since leaving the EU, UK Governments have continued to undertake the noise mapping functions summarised for EU countries in this report. This is required by the Environmental Noise Regulations individually enacted into law by England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the cost of noise pollution to the economy.

The UK Health Security Agency estimates that in 2018, around 100,000 Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) were lost in England due to road traffic noise, across the UK population. DALYs are an internationally recognised metric where one DALY represents the loss of one year of good health. A further 13,000 were lost from railway noise.

Food and Rural Affairs, what the deadline is for Thames Water to submit its annual review of its Water Resources Management Plan under section 37A of the Water Industry Act 1991.

Thames Water submitted its latest annual review of its Water Resources Management Plan on 30 June 2025. This review covers the period April 2024 to March 2025. The Environment Agency and Ofwat are currently scrutinising this report.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he is taking steps to increase the Environment Agency's budget for the maintenance of assets in Twickenham.

We inherited flood defences in their worst state on record. We’re investing a record £2.65 billion over two years (2024/25 - 2025/26) to maintain, repair and build flood defences, and we have reprioritised £108 million of this funding into asset maintenance. As part of this investment, we will refurbish Teddington Launch Lock and maintain Barge Lock whilst this refurbishment takes place. Twickenham is within the London Excluded Area. Under the Metropolis Management Amendment Act 1879, private owners of the flood defences in this area are responsible for their maintenance.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with the Environment Agency on the maintenance of assets in Twickenham.

We inherited flood defences in their worst state on record. We’re investing a record £2.65 billion over two years (2024/25 - 2025/26) to maintain, repair and build flood defences, and we have reprioritised £108 million of this funding into asset maintenance. As part of this investment, we will refurbish Teddington Launch Lock and maintain Barge Lock whilst this refurbishment takes place. Twickenham is within the London Excluded Area. Under the Metropolis Management Amendment Act 1879, private owners of the flood defences in this area are responsible for their maintenance.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the Climate Resilience Board in coordinating climate resilience.

Defra, working with Cabinet Office and HM Treasury, uses the Climate Resilience Steering Board (CRSB) to provide senior-level oversight and strategic direction to address and strengthen resilience to climate change related risks that threaten the UK economy, security, critical national infrastructure, and the life and health of its citizens. The CRSB is well placed to provide and improve strategic responses to climate change across government. It carries out the coordination across Government that ensures climate risks to all sectors are monitored and key departmental actions are delivered that will combat the cross-cutting impacts of climate change.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of (a) banning and (b) reducing the use of pesticides in public spaces on (i) the natural environment and (ii) wildlife.

The Government recognises the importance of managing public spaces sustainably and its first priority is to ensure that pesticides do not harm human or animal health or pose unacceptable risks to the environment. A pesticide may only be placed on the market following a thorough risk assessment that concludes all safety standards are met. All professional pesticide users must minimise the use of pesticides along roads and in areas used by the public, receive adequate training and register with Defra.They are also encouraged to follow the principles of Integrated Pest Management, which aims to reduce reliance on chemical pesticides by making use of lower risk alternatives and promoting natural processes. The UK Pesticides National Action Plan sets out how the Government will continue to promote the sustainable use of pesticides. Local authorities are encouraged to identify innovative pesticide use solutions and share good practice.