Drought: Impact and Policies Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Baroness Grender
Main Page: Baroness Grender (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)Department Debates - View all Baroness Grender's debates with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Drought: Impact and Policies
Baroness Grender Excerpts(6 days, 7 hours ago)
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Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)
The Government engage with water companies, the Environment Agency, the Met Office and key sectors through the National Drought Group, because we want to ensure proper co-ordinated action. The Met Office regularly updates on the potential impacts of El Niño, which helps to ensure that the group is prepared to respond. Of course, the impacts of El Niño are uncertain, but we are aware that it could contribute to continued dry conditions into autumn and winter, which could further reduce the opportunities to refill reservoirs.
Defra has announced a further £15 million of support to build on-farm reservoirs through the water management grant. To enable farmers to make better use of water during wetter periods, Defra is also taking steps towards a more dynamic abstraction licensing system. The Environment Agency has committed to reviewing its approach to abstraction and has introduced a regulatory position statement, which brings reservoir refill season forward from November to October.
Baroness Grender (LD)
My Lords, does the Minister agree that, with the severe droughts declared in parts of the south-west and south-east, and water companies still losing nearly 3 billion litres a day to leakage, the clean water Bill is needed now? Are the rumours true that it has been delayed again? Can she tell us when it will be introduced, given that she told us last month that she hoped to bring it shortly?
Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)
I assure the noble Baroness that we are actively working on the water Bill. It is an absolute priority, not just for the department but for the Prime Minister. We absolutely need to get it right. There is a lot of work going into it. A lot of changes are needed to the water industry if we are going to really make the difference that we want to make. In fact, I have only today had a meeting where I have discussed it, so it is something that we are actively working on.