Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent West)
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 the NAO on the use of the Special Administration Regime in the water sector.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK Government and the National Audit Office regularly engage in discussions on economic issues as part of ongoing stakeholder relations.
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent West)
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 plans to designate bathing water status to the 2,487 recreationally-used freshwater sites identified by the Environment Agency which currently do not have such status.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government designates bathing waters following a public application and consultation process. This means the process is driven by individuals and groups with direct ties to sites highly popular with bathers, who best understand how they are used and valued by the local community. More information on the application and designation process is available on Gov.UK.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bathing-waters-apply-to-designate-or-de-designate
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent West)
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 the ONS regarding the use of the Special Administration Regime in the water sector.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK Statistics Authority (which includes the ONS) is a Non Ministerial Department sponsored by the Cabinet Office. At present, DEFRA has not had discussions with the ONS regarding the use of SAR in the water sector.
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her Department's policy is on operator self-monitoring.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are putting an end to Operator Self-Monitoring and ensuring the public have confidence in the data that is produced from water company assets.
We will implement an Open Monitoring approach so everyone can see what is happening, with clear, accessible data that allows regulators and the public to hold water companies properly to account.
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent West)
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 to Question 122633, on Water Companies: Repairs and Maintenance, whether her Department will publish the initial cost information on ending operator self-monitoring that has been provided by the Environment Agency.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has committed to ending Operator Self Monitoring. The Environment Agency has provided early, high‑level indicative cost estimates to support the Department’s initial exploration of options for future monitoring arrangements. These figures were produced to give a broad sense of potential scale only. Further work is now underway to develop and refine the policy options and to produce more detailed and robust costings.
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to answer Written Parliamentary Question UIN 124051.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Written Parliamentary Question UIN 124051 was answered on 28 April 2026.
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the principal statutory duties are of Thames Water Utilities Limited's licence.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Under section 37 of the Water Industry Act 1991 a water company has the duty to ensure the supply of water within its area of appointment and to develop and maintain an efficient and economical supply system for that purpose, as well as to ensure arrangements have been made for maintaining, improving and extending its water mains and other pipes.
In addition, under section 94 of the Water Industry Act 1991, a water company that also holds a sewerage appointment has the duty to effectually deal with the contents of sewers and provide the necessary infrastructure for that purpose.
All water and sewerage companies have the same statutory duties.
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent West)
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 April to Question 127788 on Water Companies: Prosecutions, of the 37 completed prosecutions against Water and Sewerage Companies since 27 March 2020, how many of these prosecutions were for offences that took place before 27 March 2020.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Of the 37 prosecutions since 27 March 2020, 32 prosecutions were for offences that took place before 27 March 2020, and 5 prosecutions were for offences that took place after 27 March 2020.
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to answer Written Parliamentary Question UIN 123113.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Written Parliamentary Question UIN 123113 was answered on 16 April 2026.
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many prosecutions the Environment Agency has completed against Water and Sewerage Companies for offences that have taken place since 27 March 2020.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Since 27 March 2020, there have been 37 completed prosecutions against Water and Sewerage Companies. A water quality prosecution is any criminal proceedings relating to a failure to properly manage water or sewage treatment.