Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her Department’s press release entitled Government unveils biggest overhaul to water in a generation, published on 19 January 2026, what estimate her Department has made of the proportion of households experiencing water disruption each year which will be resolved as a result of her Water White Paper, once implemented.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government’s New Vision for Water sets out our plans to being forward measures specifically designed to improve the resilience of our water infrastructure and minimise disruption for customers.
This includes providing the new, integrated water regulator with powers to conduct ‘no-notice’ inspections to bolster enforcement of the Security and Emergency Measures Direction which requires water companies to be prepared to respond to disruption to water supplies in the first place. In addition, a new Chief Engineer will be embedded in the new regulator to oversee company behaviour, and guide companies to focus on fixing crumbling pipes and treatment works, as part of stronger, prevention-first measures to mitigate future disruption.
Where disruption occurs, the Government has already taken action to update the Guaranteed Standards Scheme, doubling – or more than doubling – compensation levels and adding new standards, to hold companies to account and stand up for customers.
Asked by: Sojan Joseph (Labour - Ashford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with South East Water on the continued imposition of a hosepipe ban for its customers.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency has been in contact with South East Water throughout the drought to ensure the company has followed its drought plan.
The decision for removal of the hosepipe ban, is for South East Water as outlined in the sections 76 and 76A-C of the Water Industry Act 1991.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2026 to question 105592 on River Great Ouse: Dredging, for what reason the river has not been dredged since the 1970s and 1980s.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Since the 1980s, the Environment Agency’s (EA) maintenance works have been limited to targeted desilting at specific locations, such as locks, outfalls and gauging stations, to maintain navigation and asset functionality.
Sections of the Ely Ouse, from Popes Corner to Littleport, were desilted between 1991 and 1998, and small-scale shoal removals have occurred intermittently near structures such as Denver and Salters Lode Locks in Norfolk.
On the Tidal River Great Ouse, the EA undertakes desilting activities at Denver and Salters Lode Locks to maintain a navigable channel, most recently in 2025, and the EA is planning a desilting programme for 2026. The EA also removes silt which accumulates on erosion protection measures, most recently near Salters Lode in February 2025.
The EA undertakes targeted dredging where necessary along the River Great Ouse in the locations where it will either support navigation or the reduction of flood risk.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 19 January 2026, to question 104940 on River Great Ouse: Flood Control, by when will the Environment Agency have completed their assessment of the potential flood alleviation a) benefits and b) impacts of the proposed options.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The full business case for the St Ives Staunch sluice project is currently planned for completion in late Spring 2026. This will include a high-level assessment of the benefits, impacts and costs of proposed options.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps her Department has taken to reduce concentrations of fine particulate matter in the Birmingham City Council area.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Birmingham City Council is responsible for reviewing and assessing air quality in its area. The 2025 Birmingham Air Quality Annual Status Report notes continued action to reduce PM2.5 through implementation of the Birmingham Clean Air Zone, fleet renewal and retrofit of buses and taxis, promotion of active travel, traffic management and anti-idling enforcement. The Council is also reducing emissions from domestic solid fuel burning through smoke control enforcement and public awareness, and works with Defra supported monitoring and modelling to track PM2.5 trends and inform further targeted interventions. The Council continues to work with Defra, DfT, the West Midlands Combined Authority and partners to identify new measures to reduce pollution.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what is the current asset condition of a) Brownshill and b) St Ives staunch.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The current asset condition of Brownshill Staunch sluice is rated as poor (gates 1 and 2) and very poor (gate 3).
The current asset condition of St Ives Staunch sluice is rated as poor.
The Environment Agency carries out an accredited visual inspection of assets to assess their condition and performance every 6 – 24 months. The frequency of inspection depends on the asset’s priority.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Government unveils biggest overhaul to water in a generation, published on 19 January 2026, how her Department plans to monitor and report progress on private sector investment over the next five years.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Before 2029, the water industry will deliver a water infrastructure upgrade programme worth £104 billion. Upgrades will include 10 million new smart meters, progressing 9 new reservoirs, and delivering 3,000 storm overflow projects. This will require the highest level of private sector investment in the water sector since privatisation. The investment programme will drive economic growth, create jobs, and enable thousands of new homes.
Ofwat, the independent economic regulator, monitors and reports on water company spending and financing through its annual performance report and its monitoring and financial resilience report. These documents are publicly available.
The Government has set out its new vision for water through a White Paper published on 20 January 2026. The White Paper sets out once in a generation reforms that will transform the water system for good, with a renewed focus on securing a fair deal for customers, investors, and the environment, to rebuild trust and secure a water system that works for everyone.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how her Department plans to enforce compliance with proposed stormwater management measures in Buckinghamshire.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) is responsible for ensuring compliance. The EA has strengthened regulation of the water industry through new dedicated regulation and enforcement teams. Its Thames and East Anglia Areas have completed over 2,400 inspections since April 2025.
The EA has visited 7 Anglian Water assets since April and has followed up on the two minor non-compliances identified. It is planning to visit a further 13 Anglian Water assets in the Buckingham and Brackley area before the end of March 2026.
Stewkley Sewage Treatment Works (STW) and Quainton Sewage Pumping Station, both operated by Thames Water Utilities Limited, were inspected in May 2025 and January 2026, respectively. No major compliance issues were identified, and the operator agreed actions to resolve minor non-compliances found.
Stewkley STW is a high-spilling storm overflow site: measures are in place to investigate and reduce spill frequency under the Water Industry National Environment Programme (PR24) during AMP8 (2025-2030).
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what metrics her Department plans to use to evaluate the effectiveness of water conservation programmes in rural areas of Buckinghamshire.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As part of the water resources management plan (WRMP) process, it is a statutory requirement for water companies to produce an annual review of their plans. The annual review sets out delivery of each WRMP component, including the effectiveness of water efficiency measures for domestic and non-domestic water company customers in rural areas. Outcomes from the annual review are also used to monitor progress against the Environmental Improvement Plan 2025 which sets out England’s long term water efficiency strategy and includes metrics to reduce domestic and non-domestic water use.
For water users with their own source of supply, the Environment Agency regulates abstraction through the issuing of abstraction licences. The Environment Agency monitors the use of these licences to ensure they meet their licence conditions and do not risk damage to the environment.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of water resilience in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency in the context of climate change projections.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Anglian Water, as the water and wastewater provider for Milton Keynes and Buckingham, has the responsibility to assess the adequacy of water resilience in the context of climate change.
Anglian Water’s water resources management plan 2024 (WRMP24) evaluates the risk and possible impact of climate change and sets out likely implications for water supplies. Anglian Water has conducted a detailed assessment of climate change for each water resource zone (WRZ) in its area. The outcome of the assessment has been incorporated into Anglian Water’s WRMP24 forecasts and options are included to meet supply deficits caused by the impacts of climate change.
Anglian Water’s WRMP24 was reviewed by the Environment Agency and was published in September 2024.