Asked by: Andrew George (Liberal Democrat - St Ives)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with utility companies on directing customers to online information during service disruptions; and what steps she will take to ensure that essential information is provided through communication channels which remain functional during emergencies.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Security and Emergency Measures Direction 2022 (SEMD) requires water companies to ensure continuation of their water distribution functions during an emergency. SEMD includes a legal requirement for companies to have “appropriate emergency communication facilities and procedures for managing and maintaining communications and support to customers throughout an emergency”.
Defra expects water companies to respond rapidly and on a 24/7 basis through a range of communication methods (including, but not limited to, telephone, email, and social media). We also expect companies to plan for individual channels being unavailable, for example during power or telecoms failures, and that companies should adapt their communications plans in response to customer feedback or local priorities as incidents evolve.
Defra Ministers met with senior officials from South West Water over the past weekend to discuss the company’s response to the supply disruption following Storm Goretti. The Drinking Water Inspectorate, on behalf of the Secretary of State, regulates water company performance on SEMD. Their review of the company’s response to Storm Goretti will include examination of South West Water’s compliance with the communication requirements of SEMD.
Asked by: Andrew George (Liberal Democrat - St Ives)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with South West Water on the adequacy of its communication strategy during recent service disruptions, including whether she will ask the company to issue a formal statement committing to a revised strategy which prioritises customer impact.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Security and Emergency Measures Direction 2022 (SEMD) requires water companies to ensure continuation of their water distribution functions during an emergency. SEMD includes a legal requirement for companies to have “appropriate emergency communication facilities and procedures for managing and maintaining communications and support to customers throughout an emergency”.
Defra expects water companies to respond rapidly and on a 24/7 basis through a range of communication methods (including, but not limited to, telephone, email, and social media). We also expect companies to plan for individual channels being unavailable, for example during power or telecoms failures, and that companies should adapt their communications plans in response to customer feedback or local priorities as incidents evolve.
Defra Ministers met with senior officials from South West Water over the past weekend to discuss the company’s response to the supply disruption following Storm Goretti. The Drinking Water Inspectorate, on behalf of the Secretary of State, regulates water company performance on SEMD. Their review of the company’s response to Storm Goretti will include examination of South West Water’s compliance with the communication requirements of SEMD.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure water resilience during (a) storms and (b) periods of severe weather in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 10 December to Question 96864.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing an emergency contingency fund to support (a) waterways-dependent businesses and (b) tourism in the context of the December 2025 canal breach in Whitchurch.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra’s relationship with the inland waterways sector focuses on providing grant support for the two largest navigation authorities, the Canal and River Trust and the EA Navigations, which between them cover around 2,630 miles of waterways. This support contributes to the infrastructure maintenance of their networks, while respecting their operational independence to manage their waterways for the benefit of businesses and tourism.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has produced a recent risk assessment for the impact of canal embankment breaches on narrowboats.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Responsibility for the safe operation of canals rests with the navigation authorities. In the case of the Canal and River Trust, Defra officials meet the Trust’s senior management team to discuss the Trust’s work and use of the Government grant funding, as well as engaging regularly with the Trust throughout the year on any matters as they arise.
Jan. 14 2026
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