Oral Answers to Questions
Emma Reynolds Excerpts(4 days, 8 hours ago)
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The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Emma Reynolds)
As outlined in our manifesto, this Government are committed to bringing an end to the use of snare traps. We set out this commitment in our animal welfare strategy, and are actively looking to bring a ban on snares into force as quickly as possible.
Brian Mathew
I and many others in my constituency of Melksham and Devizes, and no doubt across England, welcome the new animal welfare strategy for England, particularly the banning of snares, which are indiscriminate and cruel. What progress is being made on protecting hares during the breeding season, and on delivering on the pledge to consult on ending trail hunting where it is used as a cover for illegally killing foxes?
Emma Reynolds
I thank the hon. Member for his interest, and share his view that the use of snare traps is cruel and indiscriminate. We are looking at and consulting on whether we can introduce a closed season for hares.
Siân Berry (Brighton Pavilion) (Green)
Callum Anderson (Buckingham and Bletchley) (Lab)
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Emma Reynolds)
I set out further details of the 2026 sustainable farming incentive offer at the National Farmers Union conference last month. We are streamlining action and reducing complexity, so that more farmers can access funding. The offer will be simpler and fairer, with priority access in June for small farms, and farms not already in receipt of environmental land management scheme agreements.
Callum Anderson
I was pleased to welcome my right hon. Friend to Adstockfields, a great small family farm in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency, for a rural summit. As she knows, the SFI came up frequently. Can she set out for the House the steps that she has taken to ensure that farmers with SFI 2023 and countryside stewardship mid-tier agreements that are expiring this year can move on to SFI 2026 agreements, without losing any support?
Emma Reynolds
It was a pleasure to meet my hon. Friend and farmers from Buckinghamshire at the farm in his constituency for our rural summit, at which we discussed SFI and other issues. At the end of last year, the Government decided to extend expiring mid-tier agreements. I understand that farmers are concerned about any gap in their support, and we are looking to see what we can do to fix that problem.
Sir Julian Smith (Skipton and Ripon) (Con)
I am pleased to hear that answer, because farmers across Skipton and Ripon are really concerned about the fact that, having recently signed mid-tier agreements, they will not be eligible for the new SFI window. If the Secretary of State could push further on that and try to find a way through, farmers in North Yorkshire would be extremely grateful.
Emma Reynolds
I thank the right hon. Gentleman for his very thoughtful question. I have heard that from farmers in different parts of the country, and I know it is an issue in his constituency. We are looking to see what we can do, because there are many whose agreements are expiring towards the end of the year, and the second window will open in September. The intent to act is there, but we must ensure that we have the systems in place to enable that to happen.
Robbie Moore (Keighley and Ilkley) (Con)
So here we are: after stopping and starting, and chopping and changing, the Government are finally working on the roll-out of the new SFI scheme, which will be launched this summer, but it comes with lower payment rates for key environmental delivery measures, and a £100,000 cap. We learn that thousands of upland farmers will be excluded altogether, and that those on historic agreements will still be locked in and unable to apply. Farmers are already struggling as a result of rising costs, the family farm tax and choices that this Labour Government are making. How will the Secretary of State focus on ensuring the effective delivery of the scheme? What does she say to the many farmers I have spoken to, who say that the new SFI creates more cost, more risk and less reward for our farmers?
Emma Reynolds
I respectfully disagree with the hon. Gentleman’s analysis. We are simplifying the SFI precisely because we want more farmers to benefit from it. At the moment, 25% of SFI funding goes to just 4% of farms, and we do not think that is right. We are simplifying the scheme, so that it is easier and less costly to administer. We have new leadership at the Rural Payments Agency, as he will know, and the cap he talked about affects only a tiny minority of those who already have an agreement. [Interruption.] He can keep shouting at me from a sedentary position, but I cannot talk and listen, believe it or not. There is a record number of farmers in our schemes, unlike under the previous Government, who failed to get the money out the door.
Charlie Dewhirst (Bridlington and The Wolds) (Con)
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Emma Reynolds)
We are negotiating an SPS deal with our closest trading partner, the EU, to reduce barriers, and cut friction, costs and delays at the border for businesses. Last week, I launched a call for information to understand how best we can support businesses to make the best of this opportunity.
Charlie Dewhirst
Various farming organisations have expressed their concern about the potential negative impact of dynamic alignment with the EU. CropLife’s report suggested that immediate alignment could cost British farming £800 million in year one, and could see wheat production reduced by more than 15%. What is the Secretary of State doing to work with Cabinet Office colleagues to ensure that they understand the potential negative impacts of an SPS deal, so that we do not sell out our farmers, as they sold out the fishing industry?
Emma Reynolds
This is about making it easier for farmers and other food processors in the food chain to export to our biggest export market. I can reassure the hon. Gentleman—I know he is an assiduous member of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee—that we are in touch with the National Farmers Union and others about the negotiations. They are ongoing. I cannot provide a running commentary on them, but as was set out in the common understanding between the UK and the EU, there will be a number of exceptions, and we want to see a smooth transition to the new system.
Melanie Onn (Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes) (Lab)
The negotiations are critical to UK fisheries. What plans does the Secretary of State have to keep this House and the fishing sector updated? Perhaps she or one of her colleagues would attend the all-party parliamentary group on fisheries, to ensure that we are up to date on all developments.
Emma Reynolds
We are keeping in touch with all sectors that are affected by the agrifood deal, but I recognise my hon. Friend’s work, particularly with the fishing industry. The Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs would be very happy to attend a meeting of her APPG, and to talk to it.
Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland) (LD)
Obviously, there are real opportunities to be had from the completion of an SPS agreement, but those who import fresh produce, in particular citrus fruit, are concerned that imports from countries outside the European Union will become more difficult and more expensive as a consequence. May I encourage the Secretary of State to engage more vigorously and in greater detail with the Fresh Produce Consortium, which brought these concerns to my desk recently?
Emma Reynolds
The Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs is more than happy to meet the consortium. As the right hon. Gentleman said, there is a big prize here, because we do more trade with our nearest trading market and, as he knows, there have been significant delays at the border, and administrative costs. That means that the export of fresh produce is very difficult; in some sectors, such as shellfish, it becomes almost impossible. We have to keep our eyes on the prize. I understand the point that he makes about produce from non-EU countries. We are engaging on that, and as I say, the Minister is happy to meet the group that he mentioned.
Dame Nia Griffith (Llanelli) (Lab)
I very much appreciate the determination of this Government to get an SPS agreement with the EU. That will bring down costs both for our Welsh farmers exporting meat, and for our consumers. Llanelli has a long tradition of cockle gathering, but exports of unprocessed shellfish were stopped by the Tories’ ill-thought-through Brexit deal. Will the Secretary of State please update us on any progress on the export of shellfish?
Emma Reynolds
A successful SPS deal will bring huge benefits to the shellfish industry, which was, as my hon. Friend said, very badly affected by the botched Brexit deal that we inherited from the last Government.
Mr Speaker
Order. Dr Hudson, I have the greatest respect for you; you have more knowledge of this than anyone in this Chamber. However, we cannot have five questions. I have to get others in. Secretary of State, pick whichever question you want.
Emma Reynolds
I do not know which one to answer! I reassure the shadow Minister that the Government are absolutely committed to maintaining high animal welfare standards, and we made it clear to the United States when we were doing the deal with them that we will not tolerate hormone-treated beef and certain other products.
David Smith (North Northumberland) (Lab)
Sally Jameson (Doncaster Central) (Lab/Co-op)
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Emma Reynolds)
Yesterday, I launched the land use framework, a blueprint for how we can make the most of our land. We will shortly be publishing our waste crime action plan to give the Environment Agency police-style powers to crack down on these criminal networks. Earlier this week, we announced more than 600 flood defence projects. Earlier this month, I led the first agrifood trade mission to Washington to promote the new 13,000 tonne beef quota. I also took part in the second UK-Ireland summit, alongside the Prime Minister and other members of the Cabinet. Next week, I will chair the first food and farming partnership board. Today, we are opening the King Charles III England coastal path, which I am sure Members across the House will agree is a wonderful achievement.
Sally Jameson
What assessment has the Secretary of State made of agricultural co-operatives and how they might contribute to Government objectives on sustainable farming and food security?
Emma Reynolds
This Labour Government are committed to doubling the size of the co-operative and mutual sector, as we laid out in our manifesto. We already have some very successful agricultural co-operatives such as Arla and Openfield, which benefit the farmers in those co-operatives and their local communities.
Victoria Atkins (Louth and Horncastle) (Con)
Consumers and farmers believe that a Union Jack flag or a Made in Britain label should mean that the food was made or grown in the United Kingdom. We Conservatives, led by my right hon. Friend the Member for North East Cambridgeshire (Steve Barclay), consulted on this flag loophole before the election—and we will close it when we are back in government. May I offer the Secretary of State some help? We have already helped her with her fly-tipping policies this week, and I am pleased to see that she has adopted some of our policies to tackle the problem. Will she now adopt another Conservative plan and close the flag loophole?
Emma Reynolds
The right hon. Lady had 14 years to do what she is talking about.
Victoria Atkins
And the Secretary of State has had this matter sitting on her desk for 18 months. Instead of dealing with it, we have had 18 months of damaging the rural economy, damaging rural businesses and hurting rural families under this Government. Indeed, only yesterday we saw yet another example: as fuel prices surge, Labour MPs voted to make the fuel in our cars even more expensive than it already is. We on the Conservative Benches know that rural families depend on their cars to live, so we ask why this Labour Government are targeting rural families with ever-higher taxes on their cars, their incomes and their businesses, making life harder for us all?
Emma Reynolds
Let me gently point out to the right hon. Lady that on Monday the Prime Minister announced a £53 million package to help rural communities that are reliant on heating oil. On waste crime, I will take no lectures from the right hon. Lady, because the Conservatives had 14 years in government to address waste crime. In 2018 they had a review on what to do about waste crime, and they did precisely nothing.
Noah Law (St Austell and Newquay) (Lab)
Emma Reynolds
We have promoted and protected farmers in trade deals, unlike the previous Government, who sold them down the river with the US and Australian trade deals.
Bob Blackman (Harrow East) (Con)
Paul Davies (Colne Valley) (Lab)
Emma Reynolds
I thank my hon. Friend for raising this important issue. Like the viewers of “Dirty Business” and my hon. Friend, I share the public’s anger about the decades of failure and neglect in our water system. The programme was very distressing and upsetting. I have extended an invitation to Heather Preen’s mum, Julie, to meet with me. I can reassure my hon. Friend that the Government are determined to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas. We have already banned unfair bonuses for water bosses. We are scrapping Ofwat, and we are ending self-monitoring of water companies.
Munira Wilson (Twickenham) (LD)
Mr Speaker
Order. You have put the point on the record. While I have got the Secretary of State here, I will ask her if she wishes to respond.
Emma Reynolds
Further to that point of order, Mr Speaker. I am happy to respond. We issued a written ministerial statement yesterday. I have done oral statements on big issues such as the water White Paper. I note that when my predecessor, my right hon. Friend the Member for Streatham and Croydon North (Steve Reed), made an oral statement on water in September, the right hon. Member for Louth and Horncastle (Victoria Atkins) did not care to attend.
Mr Speaker
A WMS was out there, and I say to the Government that priority should always be given to the House. I am sure that will be noted. Far too many statements are made outside the House, but there was a WMS on this occasion. I will leave it at that because we have other things to get through.
Land Use Framework for England
Emma Reynolds Excerpts(5 days, 8 hours ago)
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The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Emma Reynolds)
I am today laying before Parliament this Government’s first land use framework for England, setting out a vision for how we can best use land.
Land is a fundamental natural asset, the foundation of our lives. The resilience of our homes, businesses, communities and nature itself relies on good land management. We want to make more effective use of land so that we can build the homes needed to tackle the housing crisis, generate home-grown clean power, safeguard our food security and restore nature at scale.
Last year we ran a national conversation on land use, seeking views on the various pressures on land and the need for a strategic approach to minimise trade-offs between these important goals and to deliver a resilient future. We received over 1,200 unique responses to the online consultation, from organisations and individuals, and gathered feedback through events and focus groups covering all parts of society. Today we also share a report summarising the key messages we heard, and the framework incorporates the Government’s response.
The land use framework shows how we can effectively manage multiple, and sometimes competing, demands for land, to make land multi-functional, and how we can adapt to the challenge of a changing climate and a growing population. It fulfils the Government’s commitment to set out a long-term and strategic approach to how England will use its finite land to support a prosperous and sustainable future.
The Government’s new framework provides decision makers with a single, shared vision on how we can play to the strengths of our diverse landscapes and enable multifunctional and resilient land use. It is not about telling anyone what to do; it is about providing the principles, data analysis and policy commitments to enable a more strategic approach that manages trade-offs and optimises benefits. By putting cutting-edge data in the hands of those making decisions on the ground, the land use framework will help to speed up house building and infrastructure delivery, support farm business diversification and profitability, and accelerate environmental improvement.
The land use framework sets out how we will:
Unlock development and accelerate growth by streamlining spatial planning and aligning local and national priorities. This will reduce uncertainty in planning decisions and clarify local contributions to national targets, helping to lower costs of development and mobilise investment in nature-based solutions that protect homes, businesses and infrastructure from the impacts of climate change. We will release the data and digital tools required to locate housing and infrastructure in the most appropriate places so that we can accelerate the building of new homes and clean energy infrastructure, while also safeguarding food production and restoring nature.
Support farmers and food security by maintaining overall food production in England. We are safeguarding food production on the most productive farmland, and developing sector growth plans to help improve productivity, profitability and resilience to ensure long-term food security. We will ensure that our agricultural land classification system remains fit for purpose to inform planning decisions. Simplified systems for making payments and digitised land data submissions will make it easier for farmers to make decisions, and there will be new or more targeted funds to support land use change activity.
Protect the environment and adapt to climate change by taking a more strategic approach that ensures there is enough land available to meet our targets in the environmental improvement plan and carbon budget growth and delivery plan. We will design farming policy to support climate mitigation and resilience and transition some financial incentives to focus on where they will make the greatest impact.
Make land digital by putting advanced data in the hands of those making decisions. This will speed up housing and infra- structure development, support farm business resilience, and boost environmental improvement. We will provide access to the tools and mapping systems that decision makers need to make confident, long-term choices, providing transparency and certainty to drive innovative public-private investment.
This is the purpose of the first land use framework for England: to provide a blueprint for smarter land- based decision making. We will work in partnership with farmers, landowners, local government and decision makers, as well as technology providers and academics, to deliver this framework.
Publishing the framework is just the first step. It is not a static document, and we will publish updated analysis on gov.uk, as well as progress on policy and implementation. Over the next year we will establish a land use unit to put the framework into action, producing the evidence, data and tools, and setting out national spatial priorities for relevant Government outcomes.
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Sustainable Development for Nature and Growth
Emma Reynolds Excerpts(1 week ago)
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The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Emma Reynolds)
This Government have committed to building 1.5 million homes and fast-tracking 150 major planning decisions this Parliament—these are essential for growth, communities, cleaner energy and better transport links.
Yet nature and biodiversity remain under pressure, and our planning system has become too slow and uncertain to support either development or nature recovery effectively. In the past, environmental requirements were challenging to navigate, blocking infrastructure without helping nature.
But this can be resolved. Independent reviews have told us that to remedy this situation we need smarter regulation, bringing better results for nature while easing the progress of sustainable development. We have already taken action to streamline the planning process through the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025, and to deliver better outcomes for nature through proposals for the nature restoration fund; building on the ambitious commitments set out in our environmental improvement plan. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has also set up the infrastructure board to scrutinise the planning needs of complex projects, and has commenced pilots for the lead environmental regulator to provide a single point of contact to developers on environmental issues.
We must build on this momentum and move decisively to a modern, outcomes-focused framework for environmental planning. That is why I am renewing the priorities of environmental regulation to build on the Government’s plan to deliver environmental progress and sustainable growth more effectively, as a genuine win-win.
The Government, regulators and developers must each play their part. Our regulators will continue to move towards a more proactive, solutions-focused approach, prioritising outcomes over process. Developers must have a better understanding of the local nature needs of the area they are building in, and the Government will provide the clarity and investment needed to bring this all together.
I will be driving this progress in five key areas:
First, the Government are setting a clear direction for our regulators, through the new strategic policy statements for Natural England and the Environment Agency. Their publication delivers on one of Dan Corry’s key recommendations and sets a clear mandate for outcomes-focused, place-based decision making that supports economic growth while upholding all legal and environmental standards.
Secondly, to support this, we are confirming £100 million of investment over three years in our regulators for specialist staff, digital casework systems, and improved guidance, all of which builds on the significant progress made in the past year to deliver quicker and better environmental advice.
Thirdly, to keep critical national projects on track, we are establishing a new DEFRA infrastructure unit, which will oversee major projects and resolve issues early and quickly. This builds on the work of DEFRA’s infrastructure board.
Fourthly, for the first time, I will also bring developers and Government together through a development industry council, to work through practical challenges and agree shared, sustainable solutions.
In addition, we are continuing to develop our lead environmental regulator model and are announcing East West Rail as the third major project to benefit from this streamlined approach. This model strips out duplication, provides better co-ordination between regulators, and removes the potential for conflicting advice, and will help the project unlock £6.7 billion in economic growth, support 100,000 new homes, and deliver better, more frequent rail connections across the Oxford-Cambridge corridor. I have written to my colleagues who have constituencies along this route to inform them of our progress.
The benefits of this new approach are already visible. The DEFRA infrastructure board has taken early action on issues related to environmental regulation, resourcing and capability, by engaging early with developers and challenging our ALBs to problem solve upstream for priority projects.
This package marks a decisive shift towards delivering growth and nature recovery hand in hand. By strengthening regulators, improving predictability and working more closely with industry, we will deliver the next phase of Government action to accelerate the infrastructure the country needs while protecting the environment.
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UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement
Emma Reynolds Excerpts(2 weeks ago)
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The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Emma Reynolds)
The Government and the European Commission agreed in May 2025 to pursue a new sanitary and phytosanitary agreement that will make it easier, cheaper and quicker to move food, plants, animals and related goods across our borders.
British businesses throughout the agrifood and related sectors currently face unnecessary costs, burdens and delays when trading with our closest and largest market. The agreement will address these issues:
Businesses will save money. Those trading with the EU—both exporters and importers, large and small—will benefit from less money spent on complex paperwork at the border. Routine border checks by port health authorities that currently apply to dairy, fish, eggs and red meat imports will be removed, reducing fees, costs associated with queuing and delays, and lowering the risk of spoilage.
Trade will flow faster. Fresh produce will reach supermarket shelves more quickly. Supply chains will become more resilient, strengthening food security here and in Europe. And for the first time since Brexit, agrifoods will move without physical checks and excessive paperwork between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Markets will be unlocked. Trade in products such as fresh sausages and burgers, certain types of shellfish and seed potatoes will resume, supporting British businesses to expand their production. Consumers on both sides of the Channel will have greater access to the high-quality products they value and will ease pressures on food price inflation.
Negotiations are expected to conclude in the coming months, and we are aiming for businesses to be ready for, and benefit from, the deal from mid-2027.
Businesses of course need clarity, time and support to prepare. The agreement will require all businesses affected to align with relevant elements of EU SPS legislation, and this may necessitate adjustments to, for example, processing methods, certification and labelling requirements, IT systems, and other aspects of compliance and assurance. This will apply to all businesses in the relevant sectors, regardless of whether they export to or import from the European Union. We are committed to providing timely, sector-specific guidance as soon as negotiations allow.
To that end, we are today publishing details on which legislation is in scope of the agreement, the broad changes this will entail and the sectors that will therefore be affected. We are also stating clearly our ambition for businesses to be able to benefit from the deal in mid-2027.
We know that some sectors will need more time and support than others to be ready and are today launching a call for information so that businesses can tell us what support and guidance they need. We will use that information to co-design and deliver support and guidance with businesses through to mid-2027. This will be further supported by a new stakeholder advisory board.
Businesses can already begin taking steps to get ready: engaging with trade bodies, signing up for Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs alerts, and considering how potential changes may affect their operations.
The sanitary and phytosanitary agreement will mark a major stride in resetting and modernising our relationship with the EU, grounded in our shared interests, common challenges and practical co-operation. It will deliver real benefits for British businesses. By preparing now, businesses can ensure that they are ready to make the most of those opportunities from day one.
I will continue to update the House as negotiations progress and as further guidance becomes available.
[HCWS1381]
National Farmers’ Union Conference: Sustainable Farming
Emma Reynolds Excerpts(3 weeks, 6 days ago)
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The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Emma Reynolds)
British agriculture employs hundreds of thousands of people, sustains rural communities, shapes the countryside, and contributes billions to our economy.
Today, I wish to update the House on a package of measures to support a productive, resilient and sustainable farming sector, which I am announcing today at the National Farmers’ Union conference in Birmingham.
Since my last update in January, the Government have focused on delivery—moving from promise to practice, and providing the clarity and stability that farmers need to plan, invest and grow.
This is a Government who listen; a Government who act; a Government who believe in British farming. The challenges are real, but so is our commitment.
It is vital that our schemes and policies are grounded in the realities that farmers face. Today’s announcements set out clearer, more predictable schemes and funding that farmers can plan around—with the sustainable farming incentive, grants and capital support shaped directly by farmer feedback.
The new sustainable farming incentive offer
As I confirmed at the Oxford farming conference in January 2026, we will open two SFI application windows this year: an initial window from June for small farmers up to 50 hectares as well as all farms without existing environmental land management revenue agreements, and a further window from September.
Ahead of applications opening in June for those eligible in the first window, we are publishing more information for the new SFI offer in 2026. This includes a streamlined list of actions and information on eligibility for the first window. The new offer has been shaped directly by industry feedback and is designed to support productive, profitable farm businesses while delivering environmental outcomes.
We want as many farmers as possible delivering positive environmental actions, and have an environment improvement plan target to double the number of farms delivering for nature by 2030, so we are introducing a £l00,000 annual agreement cap, with one agreement per farm, to spread funding more fairly across the sector. We are also ending the SFI management payment, so that the budget goes further and is more focused on delivery actions on the ground.
One key feature we are announcing today is that applicants must have a minimum area of 3 hectares to be eligible for the new SFI offer, bringing the scheme in line with recommendations from Baroness Batters’ independent farming profitability review.
£120 million in innovation and equipment grants
Farmers will benefit from £120 million of investment in farm innovation in the financial year 2026-27, including:
£70 million for the farming innovation programme to support practical research and development, including £30 million for the Government’s ADOPT programme; and
£50 million for the farming equipment and technology fund—FETF— to help farmers adopt new technology, cut emissions and boost productivity.
The £70 million in innovation grants announced today form part of the Government’s commitment to invest at least £200 million in agricultural innovation by 2030.
The FETF grant will open on 17 March, and guidance will be published today to ensure farmers and businesses have enough time to prepare an application. We will publish more details on the innovation funding shortly.
Environmental land management capital grants
The latest round of the ELM capital grant offer will open in July 2026, backed by £225 million in funding—50% more funding than was available in 2025. Farmers will be able to apply for funding to plant hedgerows, improve water quality and invest in new livestock infrastructure through the latest round. The offer will help farm businesses invest in infrastructure that supports environmental targets and long-term resilience.
We are announcing this now to enable farmers to be ready to apply and get all the necessary paperwork in place to support an application. Guidance will be available on gov.uk in advance of applications opening. As with last year, we will also be providing regular updates on how much funding has been allocated when the window opens.
Farming and food partnership board
I am establishing a farming and food partnership board, representing a fundamental reset of the relationship between the Government and the farming and food sectors. The first meeting will take place in March. The NFU is confirmed as a member, and we will confirm further members shortly.
The board will oversee the development of sector growth plans, beginning with horticulture and poultry, with further sectors to follow. These plans will identify barriers to growth and profit, including regulatory frictions, examine how costs can be better distributed across the food chain, and forecast and grow market demand through exports, retail, and public sector buying.
Farming road map and responding to the farming profitability review
Over the past few months, we have held workshops, meetings and listening sessions across the country to help us develop the farming road map and ensure it reflects what farmers need on the ground to plan for the future. This engagement activity will continue, and the farming road map will be published later this year.
A clear vision is now forming, built around the themes farmers told us matter most: profitability, productivity, stronger supply chains and environmental sustainability.
Alongside the farming road map, and further to our initial response to Baroness Batters’ independent farming profitability review, we will issue a detailed response.
Animal health and welfare review consultation and poultry biosecurity review
We have funded over 11,000 vet-led reviews to cattle, sheep and pig keepers as part of the animal health and welfare pathway.
We have received a great deal of positive feedback during the roll-out and today I am pleased to launch a consultation on making these vet visits mandatory for cattle, sheep, and pig farmers in England. This is alongside measures to control bovine viral diarrhoea in cattle and porcine reproductive respiratory syndrome in pigs.
In addition, we are expanding the improving farm animal health and welfare service to offer biosecurity advisory reviews for poultry keepers, funded with £390,000 from the Cabinet Office integrated security fund, launching this summer.
[HCWS158]
Oral Answers to Questions
Emma Reynolds Excerpts(1 month, 2 weeks ago)
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Dr Marie Tidball (Penistone and Stocksbridge) (Lab)
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Emma Reynolds)
This Labour Government are working in close partnership with farmers to strengthen productivity, resilience and long-term food security. In recent weeks, we have published Baroness Batters’ farming profitability review, allocated £30 million to our farmer collaboration fund, set out plans to simplify the sustainable farming incentive and delivered a £30 million extension to the farming in protected landscapes programme in areas such as the Peak district.
Dr Tidball
I welcome the commitment to extend the farming in protected landscapes funding, which is worth £75,000 to farms in my constituency. Last summer, I had the pleasure of visiting Snailsden moor with Jim Sutton, the moorland manager, and representatives from the Peak district national park, the Moorland Association and Natural England. They raised the high risk of wildfires in local uplands, as a result of large-scale dry spells, that can cause poor air quality and damage to nearby farms. The risk is exacerbated by a lack of a cohesive fire plan and firefighting infrastructure, including water storage. Will the Minister meet me, along with her colleagues from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, to develop a cross-Government wildfire management strategy to protect against upland moorland wildfires?
Emma Reynolds
I pay tribute to all those who do the dangerous work to bring wildfires under control. As my hon. Friend will know, the wildlife management and the fire and rescue elements of her question are the responsibility of MHCLG, but she is right that my Department is responsible for water. The Water Minister or I would be pleased to meet her to discuss how we strengthen the resilience of our emergency services and our water storage, so that we can get a hold on such problems when they arise.
Sir Julian Smith (Skipton and Ripon) (Con)
James Asser (West Ham and Beckton) (Lab)
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Emma Reynolds)
This Government are overhauling the regulatory system to deliver better outcomes for consumers and the environment. In our water White Paper, we set out plans for a more powerful, integrated regulator with real teeth, introducing MOT-style checks on pipes, pumps and other water infrastructure. Last year alone, the Environment Agency has ramped up enforcement, more than doubling inspections of water company assets.
Rachel Taylor
Affinity Water and Severn Trent are opening their consultation next week on the Grand Union canal transfer scheme. The project will see 53 megalitres of treated water a day pumped into the canal in Atherstone in my constituency to be extracted in the south-east. Residents in Atherstone are concerned about the noise, damage to the environment and disruption that the scheme could create. Can the Minister reassure my constituents that she will work with the water companies involved to ensure that disruption is minimal and the treated water is safe, and will she meet my constituents to hear their concerns?
Emma Reynolds
The Grand Union canal transfer scheme will strengthen the nation’s long-term water resilience and water security. I have listened carefully to what my hon. Friend said about her constituents’ concerns, and either myself or the Water Minister will be very happy to meet her to discuss them further.
James Asser
My constituents are plagued with endless disruption and roadworks from Thames Water, which is leading to disruption for motorists, delays in public transport and, in some cases, serious safety concerns for cyclists. Does the Secretary of State agree that such infrastructure works should be properly monitored and inspected so that they are carried out effectively and efficiently—and, frankly, so that our constituents can see some benefit at the end of the disruption?
Emma Reynolds
Under the last Government, we saw water infrastructure crumbling, but this Government are getting a grip of the water system. We are moving away from the “fix on failure” system that we inherited to one that includes proper maintenance and resilience standards to get ahead of problems. I hope that will mean less emergency work, and therefore less disruption for my hon. Friend’s constituents.
Lincoln Jopp (Spelthorne) (Con)
It is lovely to see the Secretary of State; the last time I saw her was in the Strangers Bar, when she was pulling a pint of Rebellion Overthrow—I can’t imagine why that stuck in my mind!
The River Thames scheme has been in abeyance, essentially—in mid-project review—since May last year. Will the Secretary of State please knock some heads together at both the Environment Agency and Surrey county council, and get them to say something about what is happening at the River Thames scheme?
Emma Reynolds
I am slightly put off by the hon. Gentleman’s reference to my brewery—although I thank him for putting on the record that I did indeed succeed in getting Rebellion brewery on tap in the Strangers Bar. I did enjoy pulling that pint, as he witnessed with his own eyes! The Water Minister or I would be glad to meet the hon. Gentleman to discuss the more substantive, serious issue that he raised.
Ben Maguire (North Cornwall) (LD)
During Prime Minister’s questions on 17 December, the Prime Minister promised me a meeting with the Water Minister to discuss the scourge of constant sewage dumping in my constituency and the Lowermoor water poisoning scandal. I have followed up repeatedly, including a visit to No. 10 just last week to speak with the PM’s team, who assured me that they would chase up that meeting as soon as possible—I appreciate that they may be somewhat busy at the moment—and agreed that the delay was unacceptable. The Water Minister is still yet to respond to me, so can I ask the Secretary of State when this vital meeting will take place?
Emma Reynolds
As the hon. Gentleman may be aware, the Water Minister was on bereavement leave for some time in January. She has received briefings about the situation, and would be happy to meet him to discuss this serious issue in his constituency.
Johanna Baxter (Paisley and Renfrewshire South) (Lab)
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Emma Reynolds)
Pet owners have been facing rising vet costs for years, and that is why we are consulting on updating and reforming the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 for the first time in 60 years to improve price transparency and ensure pet owners get a better deal.
Johanna Baxter
The BBC “Panorama” programme that aired on 12 January reported that some vets employed by the big six veterinary conglomerates felt pressured into upselling treatments and services that may not be clinically necessary for pets. My constituents were shocked and appalled by those revelations. My right hon. Friend will know that I have long campaigned for the Government to tackle the soaring costs of veterinary fees, so can she assure the House that the consultation on reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act will bring in not only much-needed reform to support those who work in the sector, but much-needed protection for pet owners?
Emma Reynolds
The short answer is yes. I know you also have an interest in this issue, Mr Speaker. I pay tribute to my hon. Friend’s tireless campaigning on this important issue. The consultation will look at a range of issues, and she is right that that will include modernising the regulation of veterinary professionals. We will also look at requiring vet practices to publish price lists for common treatments and improving price transparency so that pet owners get a much better deal.
Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)
We are a nation of animal lovers. When I got married, my wife loved cats and I did not, but I realised that if I loved her, I had to love her cats, and that is how it works. Can I bring to the Minister’s attention one thing that annoys me and my constituents, which is pet insurance? Pet insurance is okay until the day someone goes to claim. When they go to claim, they find out that the small print says they have not got the cover that they thought they had. When she is looking at veterinary regulation, will she look at pet insurance, too?
Emma Reynolds
The hon. Gentleman makes a good point. I am glad to hear that his wife has had such a profound influence on his cat-loving habits. We need to look at all elements of price transparency, including insurance.
Dr Neil Hudson (Epping Forest) (Con)
I declare a professional and personal interest as a veterinary surgeon and a fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. I welcome the fact that the Government have launched a consultation to reform the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966. This necessary and long-overdue reform can deliver significant benefits for animal health and welfare, biosecurity and public health. However, I have serious concerns about DEFRA’s communications, which conflated reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act with the Competition and Markets Authority inquiry, resulting in a media narrative focused entirely on veterinary pricing. That has caused real distress across the sector among frontline vets, nurses and reception staff, impacting on morale and mental health. I have been contacted by voices from across the profession expressing their extreme alarm at this approach. Will the Government reassure us that they will work closely with key stakeholders to get this vital, much-needed legislation right? Can they guarantee that they will prioritise the parliamentary time it requires?
Emma Reynolds
I thank the shadow Minister for his question and for, I think, his kind words that we were doing something that the Conservatives failed to do for 14 years. He brings great expertise to this House, but I would gently say to him that the Competition and Markets Authority’s finding that vet fees have risen at nearly twice the rate of inflation is something that the Government should take into account, is of concern to pet owners across the House and across the country, and is something that, when the CMA comes out with its final report, we will be responding to later this year.
Linsey Farnsworth (Amber Valley) (Lab)
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Emma Reynolds)
Since the last oral questions, we have published the animal welfare strategy, set out key reforms to the sustainable farming incentive, hosted the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services—the international panel on nature—in Manchester and published our water White Paper, setting out once-in-a-generation reforms to our water system so that it is fit for the future and delivers better outcomes for consumers and the environment.
Patrick Hurley
As you will know, Mr Speaker, Southport is a lovely seaside resort and one of the nicest places to visit in the whole of the country, so what recent discussions has the Minister had with United Utilities about reducing sewage discharges, which affect Southport and the wider north-west coast?
Emma Reynolds
The Water Minister and I are working closely with water companies across the country, including United Utilities, to drive them to reform their operations and clean up rivers, lakes and seas. Our water White Paper will replace the one-size-fits-all approach with dedicated supervisory teams at every company. UU is investing £50 million to upgrade Southport’s waste water treatment by 2029 to reduce storm overflow spills and improve coastal water quality.
Victoria Atkins (Louth and Horncastle) (Con)
The EU reset deal is predicted to slash around a third of the Government’s farming budget from farm profits in its first year, cause higher food prices and lower food production, and sink the UK fishing industry. As the Prime Minister’s authority seeps away, will the Secretary of State insist that this shoddy deal is renegotiated while she is still in post?
Emma Reynolds
Nice try! We are still negotiating the deal, and the whole purpose of it is to bring down the trade barriers that the right hon. Lady’s Government put up during their botched Brexit negotiations.
Victoria Atkins
For goodness’ sake, if the Government are still negotiating, the Secretary of State needs to deal with the matters I have raised. It is not just the farming sector that they are damaging; it is the entire rural economy. Rural and coastal businesses tell me that they simply cannot afford Labour’s high taxes, rates and costs, and they will not survive. In these desperate times, will the Government match the Conservatives’ plan to help rural and coastal businesses by scrapping business rates entirely for our high streets?
Emma Reynolds
I seem to remember that the Conservatives were in power for 14 years, and they did not do what the right hon. Lady has just set out. Her question is for the Treasury, not DEFRA. We are still in the process of negotiating a sanitary and phytosanitary deal, which will bring down trade barriers for farmers and food producers, helping both those who export to our largest market and those who import, and it will deliver better outcomes for consumers too. I make no apology for clearing up the mess that the Conservatives left us.
Sir Roger Gale (Herne Bay and Sandwich) (Con)
On 8 January, the United States Secretary of the Interior wrote to the Secretary of State on behalf of the big game hunting industry, asking her to ensure that the Government would abandon their commitment to the ban on importing hunting trophies. In her reply, will she give a robust indication that this Government are committed to that ban?
Emma Reynolds
I thank the right hon. Member for that question. We are committed to banning trophy hunting. It is a manifesto commitment, and we will take it forward.
Catherine Atkinson (Derby North) (Lab)
Water White Paper
Emma Reynolds Excerpts(2 months ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Watch Debate Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Emma Reynolds)
With permission, Madam Deputy Speaker, I would like to make a statement on the publication of the Government’s water White Paper, “A New Vision for Water”. The paper sets out once-in-a-generation reforms, putting consumers and the environment first and building a water system fit for the future.
For too long, the last Conservative Government turned a blind eye—perhaps that is why there is not a single Conservative Back Bencher in the Chamber to discuss this issue. They neglected the needs of people and the environment. The result: a whole-system failure, companies profiting at customers’ expense, vital infrastructure left to crumble, record levels of pollution in our waterways and public trust destroyed. It is no wonder that none of them—we may have one of two—has turned up to sit on the Back Benches.
This Government inherited that terrible failure, and we are not shying away from it. Every family in this country deserves clean water from their taps, seas safe for their children to swim in, and bills that are fair and affordable. This Government is turning the page on that Tory failure. Our goal is simple: a water system that delivers safe and secure water supplies, better water quality and a fair deal for customers and investors.
Within weeks of coming into office, this Government asked Sir Jon Cunliffe to lead an independent water commission. Sir Jon met over 150 stakeholders, including environmental groups, investors, Members of both Houses, and local communities. His call for evidence received more than 50,000 responses—there is much more interest from people out there than from the Conservative party. I thank Sir Jon and all those who contributed, including right hon. and hon. Members. The White Paper sets out our response to his recommendations.
The Cunliffe review was vital, but we did not wait for its conclusions to act. In our first year in office, we laid the foundations for the transformation that this White Paper sets out. We passed the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025 to give the regulator the power to ban bonuses for polluting water bosses and issue automatic fines for pollution; we ringfenced the money from consumers’ bills, so that it can be spent only on fixing and upgrading infrastructure and improving water quality, not diverted to pay bonuses or dividends; we secured an historic £104 billion of private sector investment to rebuild the water network; and we established the brand-new water delivery taskforce to get spades in the ground, fast-track the delivery of new infrastructure projects and drive economic growth.
This White Paper builds on those strong foundations and sets out a new vision for water in this country. Our reforms deliver three fundamental shifts. The first is the shift from fragmentation to co-ordination. Today, responsibility for water is scattered across four different regulators. The result is confusion, duplication and regulatory gaps. We will change that. We will abolish Ofwat and create a new and more powerful regulator, integrating economic and environmental regulation. We will hold water companies to account by moving away from a system of self-monitoring, in which water companies have been marking their own homework, to a more proactive and preventive approach.
There will be nowhere to hide for poorly performing water companies. We will introduce an MOT approach for water company infrastructure, requiring maintenance checks on pipes, pumps and water treatment works; we will introduce a chief engineer and ensure that there is engineering capability in the new regulator, so that decisions are grounded in practical understanding; we will take a new supervisory approach, holding companies to account in detail and recognising the different challenges they face; and our new performance improvement regime will give the regulator the power to step in faster and put things right earlier. That is prevention-first regulation.
However, regulation alone will not clean up our rivers, lakes and seas. We need everyone with a stake in our waterways to be pulling in the same direction. New reforms for regional planning will bring councils, water companies, farmers and developers together to tackle local pollution, manage water resources and support housing growth. That will strengthen community voices in the water system and drive greater use of nature-based solutions.
The second shift is from corporate interest to public interest. We must never lose sight of who this reform is for: customers and the environment. We will introduce an independent water ombudsman to resolve consumer disputes fairly. We will keep bills affordable through the wider roll-out of smart meters to help those who need it most. There will be a new water efficiency label on every appliance, so that when customers buy a washing machine or a shower, they will know exactly what it will cost not just to buy it, but to run it—to help bring their bills down. We are also cracking down on pollution at its source. We will tighten agricultural standards, including on sludge spreading. We will double funding for catchment partnerships, harnessing the power of nature to protect our rivers.
The third shift is from short-term thinking to long-term planning. For too long, the water sector has lurched from one five-year price review to the next, with no clear picture of where we are headed. We will publish a transition plan to provide a clear, simple road map for water companies, investors and the regulators. The plan will set out how the next price review will deliver those reforms, how we drive better co-ordination between existing regulators during the transition, and how we will make leadership appointments at the earliest opportunity to the new regulator’s board, including a chair-designate.
For too long the previous Conservative Government turned a blind eye to water system failure. Infrastructure was neglected, pollution went unchecked and public trust was betrayed. This White Paper draws a line under that era. It lays the groundwork for our upcoming water Bill and puts us on a new path; a path where water companies act responsibly, where customers get the service they deserve, where investors can invest with confidence, and where we can all enjoy clean rivers, lakes and seas. The British public voted for change, and we are delivering that change by building a system fit for the future. I commend this statement to the House.
Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)
I call the shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Victoria Atkins (Louth and Horncastle) (Con)
I thank the Secretary of State for an advance copy of her statement. Indeed, I welcome the Secretary of State to the Chamber. It is not often that she puts in an appearance, from the publication of the Minette Batters report to the animal welfare strategy, which was published two days before Christmas eve, to the family farm tax fiasco, the Secretary of State has been noticeable by her absence. Indeed, she intervened on the South East Water crisis only seven days ago, months after Tunbridge Wells, East Grinstead and other areas began suffering from the crisis.
The Secretary of State talks about this statement. Why does she have so little pride in her own water White Paper? She announced it to the press on Monday, and we were waiting and ready for a statement—there was no statement. The Government were, however, able to cancel their business on the public accountability legislation—that is ironic. We were waiting for a statement yesterday—there was no statement—and today she has finally given a statement on the White Paper because there was an urgent question. When it comes to scrutiny and accountability, I think the Secretary of State should be a little bit careful before she criticises others over their presence in the Chamber.
That being said, we do cautiously welcome elements of these proposals. Indeed, many of the Government’s measures on water match our plans from before the 2024 election. When we entered Government in 2010, only 7% of storm overflows were monitored by the previous Labour Government. Now that figure stands at 100%. The Water (Special Measures) Act last year repackaged Conservative regulatory proposals, such as banning unfair bonuses for water bosses, and we welcome that. The so-called private investment that the Secretary of State keeps referring to is in fact paid for by bill payers, so let us not pretend otherwise. This investment, although it is needed, is being paid for by all of our constituents through their bills.
Talking about delay, in June and July last year Sir Jon Cunliffe and his team published their review of the water sector. That report contained 88 recommendations. How many of those 88 recommendations were accepted by the Government and included in the water White Paper? Given that the Secretary of State for Energy has just announced that £15 billion worth of taxpayers’ money is to be spent on heat pumps and solar bills—to put that in context, it is equivalent to most of the police funding for England and Wales—can the Secretary of State tell us how much taxpayer and bill payer money has been allocated to this White Paper and over what timeframe these taxes and bills will be used to pay for the work in the White Paper?
Can the Secretary of State confirm whether the Government will extend environmental permit regimes to cattle farmers? If so, how does she intend to ensure that the beef sector—which has already been hit by higher taxes under this Government, by the abrupt halt of farm funding, which has not been replaced, and by the family farm tax fiasco—is not sunk by thousands of pounds in extra costs each year? How will the Secretary of State make sure that infrastructure is upgraded to ensure that catastrophic failures, such as those seen under South East Water in the last two months, do not happen again? A glaring gap in the Government’s rhetoric on water is conserving and ensuring water security. That means improving supply. How and when will the Government improve water security?
Given Ministers’ habits of missing their own deadlines, will the Secretary of State give an iron-clad commitment that the transition plan will be published in parliamentary time this year? How long will the transition take? People expect change in the water sector and are beginning to tire of the sloth-like way in which this Government conduct themselves. The Opposition fully support efforts by the Government to hold water companies to account, building on the work of the last Conservative Government to improve water quality and deliver meaningful reform of the sector. We just need the Government to get on with it.
Emma Reynolds
Oh my gosh! Well, I say to the right hon. Lady that I will not take any lectures from the Conservative party. Not only can they not be bothered to turn up for the statement, which shows an absolute disregard for the concerns of the public about the levels of pollution in our waterways—[Interruption.] I will answer her questions. We have done more in 18 months than the Conservatives did in 14 years, so I will not take any lectures from her. I am proud of our water White Paper and that my predecessor, my right hon. Friend the Member for Streatham and Croydon North (Steve Reed), commissioned somebody of the stature of Sir Jon Cunliffe and appointed the Independent Water Commission to do the most fundamental review of our water system since privatisation—a privatisation that happened under their Thatcher Government.
The shadow Secretary of State asked how many recommendations we are taking forward. It is the vast majority and more, because we are also looking at agricultural pollution, which we did not ask Sir Jon to look at. The water White Paper talks about tackling that kind of pollution and I will not shy away from that. We are working in partnership with farmers, the National Farmers Union and others because that it is an important source of water pollution.
Again, I will not take lectures from the right hon. Lady about the environmental land management programme when the Conservatives underspent the farming budget. They could not even be bothered to get the money out of the door. She asked about infrastructure upgrades. The White Paper introduces a system that moves away from water companies marking their own homework to a regulator with teeth that gets a grip on the delivery of the £104 billion infrastructure investment. Under the Conservative Government, the pipes and pumps were left in a shocking state of disrepair because there was not the regulation nor the strong regulator that we need. That is what this water White Paper and the upcoming water Bill will deliver.
The right hon. Lady talks about improving water supply. It is absolutely correct—maybe we can agree on something—that we have seen very poor performance from South East Water in recent weeks, and I was in the area last week to meet constituents of the hon. Member for Tunbridge Wells (Mike Martin)—[Interruption.] The right hon. Lady asked whether I should have gone earlier. Did she bother to go? [Interruption.] Listen, this is a privatised industry because of decisions made in 1989. I called on the regulator Ofwat to examine the licence conditions and whether they had been breached by South East Water. I do not remember her saying any such thing. I have also hauled in the chair of South East Water to ask for an urgent investigation into what happened last week and the week before, as well as for two weeks before Christmas.
This water White Paper is the most ambitious reform in a generation to our water system. It is severely needed because of the blind eye that the Conservatives turned when they were in government and the record levels of pollution in our waterways.
Josh Newbury (Cannock Chase) (Lab)
I welcome the White Paper because customers right across the country have been failed by their water company, and all too often, when turning to Ofwat for support and to hold executives to account, they have been met with bureaucracy and a weak response. Will the Secretary of State confirm that the creation of a new combined, powerful water ombudsman, set out in the White Paper, will finally give customers a route to resolve complaints quickly when companies fail to deliver this most basic of public services?
Emma Reynolds
I agree with my hon. Friend. That is why the main focus of our reforms is to create a single, more powerful and integrated regulator. At the moment, as I said in my statement, we have duplication as well as gaps. We have consumers who are not being served well, so we need a regulator that gets a grip on the investment in maintaining our water infrastructure and on bearing down on pollution incidents. We have already made a start on that, but the new regulator will have more teeth and more power to do that. My hon. Friend is right to say that we need that single, more powerful and integrated regulator to ensure we deliver better outcomes for consumers and the environment.
Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)
I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.
Sarah Dyke (Glastonbury and Somerton) (LD)
Although some proposals in this White Paper are welcome, it does not go far enough to guarantee the promised fundamental reforms. Record sewage spills of over 45,000 hours were recorded in Glastonbury and Somerton last year. The public are left in the dark as the Government refuse to record the true scale of the volume of sewage dumped, rather than just the duration. Fat cat-retention payments continue as water companies evade the 2025 ban on bonuses, with the former Wessex Water chief executive officer landing a £170,000 bonus through the parent company YTL, with Ofwat apparently powerless to oppose it. Why do the Government refuse to address the failed ownership model that has allowed pollution, under-investment and profiteering to persist for decades? Will the Secretary of State listen to Liberal Democrat calls for water companies to become mutually owned public benefit corporations?
Emma Reynolds
I thank the hon. Lady for, I think, some support for the White Paper and what she has said. We both share real concerns about the status quo. On mutual ownership, I do not really hear a plan from the Liberal Democrats as to how to get to that point—[Interruption.] Hear me out. If it involves wholesale nationalisation, given that these are private companies, that would cost around £100 billion, would be legally complex and take years of wrangling through the courts. My focus is on improving the status quo and ensuring that we are tackling pollution, which she rightly says is still happening. Since January of last year, 100% of storm overflows are being monitored, so we are shining a light of some of the pollution. We still have a way to go, but we are bearing down on the pollution that she rightly talks about.
My solution to this crisis and this issue is to make sure that we have a complete overhaul of regulation, the regulators and the way that consumers are not, at the moment, put at the centre of things. That way, we protect the consumer in a much more meaningful way by introducing a water ombudsman with statutory powers. We are making some progress and we will make more. I know that she and I agree on some things, although we may disagree on some of the details. We are determined to deliver a system that provides better outcomes for consumers and the environment.
Helena Dollimore (Hastings and Rye) (Lab/Co-op)
Those of us in this House who sit on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee and grilled the water bosses know all too well how broken this industry is, so I welcome the Government’s commitment to addressing the failures of the industry with these important reforms. As the Secretary of State knows, in Hastings and Rye, we have faced major water outages. In May 2024, the main pipe supplying Hastings burst, leaving 30,000 homes without water for days. It also burst this Christmas, leaving people without water on Christmas day.
We have since found out that Southern Water received planning permission in 2007 to replace the pipe but sat on its hands instead. This month, it begins the work to replace the pipe because of the pressure that I and this Government have put on the water industry. The measure of introducing MOTs on broken water infrastructure will also be critical for preventing that kind of thing from happening.
One of the things that I campaigned on is having clear guidance in the event of an outage and on the conditions that water companies must comply with—not just bottled water, but hygiene facilities and portaloos. Indeed, the Committee has also recommended that. Will the Secretary of State look at that request so we can be better prepared if outages occur?
Emma Reynolds
I commend my hon. Friend’s leadership on this issue. I know that she was putting pressure on Southern Water on Christmas eve. She was concerned about the previous outages, but also about those that were likely to occur. She is absolutely right to say that we need more emphasis on ensuring that companies such as Southern Water are investing in the infrastructure that is needed to prevent these outages in the first place. We are moving from a system of “fix on failure” to one of prevention. That is what this White Paper is all about.
Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland) (LD)
I welcome what is in the White Paper, and it should lead to more effective regulation, but I have just a couple of words of caution. First, the Drinking Water Inspectorate is the only part of the set-up that works well, so folding it into a new regulator should not involve it losing that ability. On agricultural pollution, can the Secretary of State work with the farmers to ensure that this does not just become another stick with which to beat them? She has referred to a whole-system failure, and she is right about that. She will have seen from her recent welcome engagement with South East Water, however, that what we have there is corporate failure, not just of management but of non-executive directors and shareholders. As the Select Committee said, this is an industry that has a real problem with its culture, and what we have in the White Paper, welcome as it is, is not going to shift that. When will we hear from the Government about what they are going to do to change the culture in the industry?
Emma Reynolds
I thank the EFRA Committee Chair for his thoughtful reflections. I agree with him on the Drinking Water Inspectorate—it does a magnificent job—and we will ensure that we transfer its strengths into the new single water regulator, as he suggests. I also agree with him that we will work, and we are working, in partnership with farmers to make sure we get this right. We are looking at what we can do with the ELM schemes to ensure that we give them the support they need to tackle the pollution of our waterways from agriculture. He talks about culture. He has a point, but I would say that the leadership of some of these companies is very varied, and we see good leadership in some of the companies. For example, I have visited Severn Trent, and it has a terrific apprenticeship programme. We need to ensure that we see better performance in the water industry across the board, sharing that best practice from those companies that are actually doing the right thing.
Andy Slaughter (Hammersmith and Chiswick) (Lab)
Last night, a 30-inch water main burst at Holland Park roundabout on the boundary of my constituency and that of my hon. Friend the Member for Kensington and Bayswater (Joe Powell). Homes and cars were flooded to a depth of 3 feet, and since the water was diverted away from the burst, thousands of residents across west London have had little or no fresh water, schools are closed and traffic is in chaos. This and hundreds of smaller bursts in the recent cold weather are the legacy of Thames Water’s failure over not years but decades. Can I thank the Minister for her statement? For my constituents, effective inspection and regulation cannot come soon enough.
Emma Reynolds
I am being kept regularly updated on the issue in Holland Park that my hon. Friend has raised. I understand that 2,000 households are off supply. That is unacceptable, and the regulator, DEFRA and I are working closely with the water company to ensure that we get on top of the issue.
Josh Babarinde (Eastbourne) (LD)
Not only are the likes of South East Water and Southern Water failing Eastbourne, with yet another outage last week, but shipping companies are also damaging our water quality. Thousands of bags of oven chips have washed up on Eastbourne beach, and their decomposition will have a serious impact on marine wildlife and the local ecosystem. I know that Sussex MPs along the shore have experienced a similar thing, whether with onions, bananas or body lotion from the White Company. However, shipping companies are not mentioned at all in the White Paper. Will the Minister meet me and Sussex MPs with constituencies on the coastline to address this issue, to ensure that the shipping companies pay their fair share towards cleaning up our seas?
Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)
Order. Much shorter questions, please.
Emma Reynolds
Either myself or the Water Minister would be happy to meet the hon. Member. I heard about the incident of the chips on the beach. In the White Paper we are looking more broadly at other sources of pollution, including those from transport and agriculture, but we would be happy to have a meeting with him to discuss the issue.
Clive Lewis (Norwich South) (Lab)
After 18 months and an independent inquiry, the Government’s answer is more regulation, not enforcing the law as it is. Not one water company has lost its licence, yet we think that more bureaucracy and more regulation will make a difference. More bureaucracy will not fix our water. I am afraid the Secretary of State needs to know that the problem is ownership. Private monopolies with guaranteed incomes have asset-stripped, polluted rivers and paid themselves billions. Until that changes, nothing will change. Will the Secretary of State meet me and other water campaigners to discuss this document? We cannot see any public consultation in the White Paper, so will she at least commit to that, please?
Emma Reynolds
I am always happy to meet with hon. Friends, as my hon. Friend well knows, but Sir Jon met many stakeholders and members of the public and we had 50,000 responses to the Independent Water Commission. It is right that the Government now get on with things, set the direction and lay the foundations for the water White Paper. I disagree with him on introducing more regulation. We need a regulator with more teeth and more powers to enforce the law as it stands, and that is what we are getting on with.
Bobby Dean (Carshalton and Wallington) (LD)
I welcome many of the measures in this White Paper. More regulation will help, but—let’s be honest—it does not get to the heart of the problem: the failure of the privatisation of the water industry. We need to be talking about ownership, but that is absent from the White Paper. I have heard the conversations in the Chamber today about nationalisation, and I agree with the Secretary of State. There would be some drawbacks to a model of nationalisation. It would put substantial liabilities on the book and would put sewerage infrastructure investment up against investment in schools and hospitals in every Budget. But there is another model, which the Liberal Democrats are putting forward: the co-operative or mutualisation model. Will the Secretary of State take that into serious consideration?
Emma Reynolds
This Government care deeply about mutuals. We have pledged overall to double the number of mutuals. I do not have a problem with mutual ownership. The problem I have is that the Liberal Democrats have not got a plan together.
James Asser (West Ham and Beckton) (Lab)
My constituents are not receiving the service they deserve. Many are facing real issues over water pressure, which is intermittent, unreliable and on some days non-existent. This issue has even been raised with me by primary school children when I am on school visits. Can the Secretary of State reassure my constituents that the White Paper will begin to force the water companies to take action on these day-to-day issues that really affect people’s lives? If they do not do so, will the regulator give weight to those complaints and will it have the kind of teeth that forces the companies to act, so that my constituents can get the service they deserve and, frankly, are already paying for?
Emma Reynolds
Yes, indeed. The new water regulator, when we are able to legislate for that and set it up, will indeed look at these issues and put consumers at the heart of what it is doing.
Cameron Thomas (Tewkesbury) (LD)
I was supposed to meet representatives of Severn Trent at a local treatment works in my constituency in December. That meeting was cancelled at short notice after heavy rainfall. They said they did not want me to get my feet wet. I smell a cover-up. The Government’s well-intentioned White Paper is doomed to fail, though, if they do not mandate water companies to measure their sewage outflows by volume. Are the Government going to do that?
Emma Reynolds
We are absolutely determined to bear down on pollution. We are looking more at the number of incidents and ensuring that we have a better picture of the coverage of storm overflows. We have 100% coverage from January last year, and we are looking to increase the amount of coverage for emergency overflows. The White Paper will ensure that the new, more powerful regulator has the teeth and the powers to crack down on pollution and to shine a light on pollution incidents so that there is nowhere to hide when it comes to the illegal use of overflows that we have seen in the past.
Florence Eshalomi (Vauxhall and Camberwell Green) (Lab/Co-op)
I thank the Secretary of State for this White Paper, and I concur with many of the comments from colleagues. I attended a community meeting last week on the Kennington Park estate in my constituency to hear from residents of Blythe House, Alverstone House and Lockwood House. Many of them have not had water since Christmas. The responsibility fell on the housing association, and I want to give credit to Hyde Housing for responding and providing water to the residents, especially as many have children, many are elderly and many have mobility issues. We have a situation whereby Thames Water thinks it is not its job to inform councils and housing associations when it is going to lower the pressure on the estates when it is doing works. Can we please ensure that the new regulator will have the right teeth to go after these companies? They ignore everything—all the fines and the warnings. This regulator needs to have teeth. If it does not, this is going to be a slap in the face for all our hard-working constituents.
Emma Reynolds
I can promise my hon. Friend that that is exactly what we are going to deliver: a new, more powerful regulator with teeth. I am concerned about the incident that she describes, so the Water Minister or I will be happy to meet her to discuss it.
Carla Lockhart (Upper Bann) (DUP)
I broadly welcome the White Paper and its evidence-based recognition that sewage and waste water failures are central to poor water quality, rather than defaulting to blaming agriculture. That approach is entirely absent in Northern Ireland where the Agriculture Minister, Mr Muir, is advancing an extreme, one-sided environmental agenda in the form of a nutrients action programme and blaming farmers alone while Northern Ireland Water pumps over 20 million tonnes of sewage into rivers and loughs each year. Will the Secretary of State agree to engage with the Northern Ireland Executive and share the learning, so that they can learn from what is happening here in GB?
Emma Reynolds
I would not like to get involved in Northern Irish politics—that is not for me to do. I can reassure the hon. Lady, however, that we are working in close co-operation with all the devolved Governments. I met Andrew Muir at the Oxford farming conference, and we discussed water. Early last year, at an interministerial group meeting, we discussed different sources of pollution and how the different devolved Governments are dealing with them.
Mr Jonathan Brash (Hartlepool) (Lab)
Hartlepool is a coastal community home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the north-east, but they are too often polluted by water companies to the detriment of my constituents. I absolutely agree with the Secretary of State that this Government have done more in 18 months to fix this mess than any other Government in history, but does she agree that once we have forced these failed water companies to get their house in order and clean up our waters, we should get them out of the ownership of foreign nationals, hedge funds and private equity, and reverse the worst privatisation in British history?
Emma Reynolds
I would like to see longer-term investors, such as pension funds—I am a former Pensions Minister—being more attracted to invest in the water system. We need a more stable, long-term regulatory approach to get more of those investors involved. I met the Maple Eight when I was in Toronto last year, and there is great interest in investing in our water system, but we have to get the regulatory system right first.
Lisa Smart (Hazel Grove) (LD)
I am lucky enough to represent the constituency of Hazel Grove, which includes the junction of the Macclesfield and Peak Forest canals. My constituents value our canals because they are green veins throughout our area and a link to our industrial heritage, but they are concerned about the sustainability of funding for our canal network, given what has happened recently with the breach at Whitchurch and a few years ago at the Toddbrook reservoir. The Secretary of State will know the role of the Canal and River Trust when it comes to water management; it looks after 74 reservoirs nationally. She will also know that the ownership model means it cannot pass on the uplift in costs to customers in the way that water companies do. Could the Secretary of State meet me to talk about the funding given to CRT to ensure that our canal network is sustainable for the future, and that we treat it as the asset it is and not a liability to be managed?
Emma Reynolds
I know Whitchurch quite well—I grew up not too far away. The Water Minister or I will happily meet the hon. Member to discuss that matter.
Mohammad Yasin (Bedford) (Lab)
I welcome the Government’s action to reform water regulation after years of neglect during which my constituents have endured leaks, outages and sewage pollution for far too long. Can the Secretary of State confirm that the new independent water ombudsman will deliver swift, binding redress for consumers, and that it will be fully operational in time to oversee the 2029 price review, which will set household bills and company investment plans through to 2035?
Emma Reynolds
We will set up the water ombudsman; we need the primary legislation to do that. The ombudsman will have statutory powers and will be able to take forward consumer complaints and disputes.
Liz Saville Roberts (Dwyfor Meirionnydd) (PC)
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Dirprwy Lefarydd. I would say to the Secretary of State “Cofiwch Dryweryn”, because water has always been political in Wales. The White Paper suggests that the UK Government may finally devolve additional powers over water to the Welsh Government. Considering that could have happened years ago under section 48 of the Wales Act 2017, which was delayed—incredibly—at the request of the Labour Welsh Government, can she now set a timeline for when the people of Wales will have power over our own water?
Emma Reynolds
As the right hon. Member will know, there is already a big degree of devolution and we work closely with the Welsh Government. I saw the Deputy First Minister recently, and we discussed the water White Paper that we are publishing today, but also the Green Paper that the Welsh Government are bringing forward in the next few weeks. We are working in lockstep with them, aligning our approaches. We have to do that because, as she says, there are some real cross-border problems, and lots of people—on either side of the border—are affected.
Abtisam Mohamed (Sheffield Central) (Lab)
The chief executive of Yorkshire Water said her bonus may
“feel like it’s a lot of money”
and that she gets “paid what the board decide” she “ought to be paid”; £1.5 million through an offshore company feels like a lot of money because it is a lot of money. She was rewarded for failure, and as my constituency still deals with burst water pipes, it feels like her board decides she should be rewarded for failure. Will the Secretary of State confirm that the new water ombudsman will enforce the prevention of these hidden bonuses, and that infrastructure development will not just end up in higher bills for customers?
Emma Reynolds
This will be an issue for the new regulator, rather than the ombudsman. As a result of the Water (Special Measures) Act, 10 water bosses last year were denied £4 million in bonuses, but there is still more to do. I urge companies to respect the spirit as well as the letter of the law. Ofwat is considering further action to hold these companies to account.
Alison Bennett (Mid Sussex) (LD)
I thank the Secretary of State for her statement, in which she talked about new reforms for regional planning supporting housing growth. Right across the south-east, we have both very high housing targets, but a totally unreliable fresh water system, as I know the Secretary of State experienced herself when she visited Tunbridge Wells recently. How can these two things be realised when fundamentally we are dealing with, as she puts it, whole-system failure?
Emma Reynolds
We do think these two objectives can be realised. Far too many people in their 20s and 30s are denied the dream of home ownership because of the failure of the previous Government to build the homes we need, but we have also seen a failure to build reservoirs and to maintain the infrastructure we had in the first place. We have not built a reservoir in this country for 30 years, so I am glad that there are now plans to build nine of them. The hon. Member is right that we need water supply to underpin the growth we need in our housing as well.
Catherine Atkinson (Derby North) (Lab)
I have seen at first hand the brilliant work that the volunteers of the Earl of Harrington’s angling club and the Midland canoe club do to test water quality and to clear up and look after our waterways, including our beautiful River Derwent. How will the action that this Government are taking ensure that river pollution and sewage are tackled, and not left to volunteers to clear up, while also bringing down water bills?
Emma Reynolds
I pay tribute to those volunteers. The new regulator will take a more supervisory approach to water companies. We will look at pre-pipe solutions to reduce the volume of rainwater and pollutants entering the sewage system in the first place, trying to move away from a system where we are fixing on failure and towards prevention. That is the right way to ensure that we clean up our waterways as my hon. Friend suggests.
Dr Ellie Chowns (North Herefordshire) (Green)
The Office for Environmental Protection said in its progress report last week
“Government have made it a priority to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas”,
but there is
“a lack of coherent, detailed delivery plans to address all major pressures”,
especially agricultural water pollution. Agriculture is the source of at least 40% of water pollution, and yet it seems to merit only one page in the White Paper. In my constituency, agriculture accounts for 70% of the issue. I ask the Secretary of State the same question that the Prime Minister dodged earlier: why on earth does it not have adequate attention here? Will she work with farmers to support river-friendly farming methods, and will she meet me and MPs across the House from the Wye catchment to address how we can tackle this major problem?
Emma Reynolds
I agree with the hon. Lady that the water pollution we see in the River Wye is completely unacceptable. That is why we are working closely with the Welsh Government, such as through the £1 million research grant to look at the sources of pollution affecting the River Wye. We are also doubling funding for the Environment Agency to inspect farms so that we have a clearer picture and can better enforce the regulations we already have, and we are streamlining those regulations so that farmers can comply.
The hon. Lady is right that there is a real problem here. I do not count it in the number of words, but there is real action in the document. It sets out what we are going to do to work in partnership with farmers, strengthen regional planning and better target our environmental land management schemes. She will have seen that the environmental improvement plan contains a comprehensive plan to tackle agricultural pollution. I refer her to the document we published before Christmas.
Dame Chi Onwurah (Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West) (Lab)
I see that Tory MPs are too scared to turn up to hear how we are cleaning up their mess. As a Newcastle MP, as an engineer and as a cold water swimmer—the North sea is very cold—I welcome the Government’s new vision for water, which will deliver the water my constituents deserve at a price they can afford. I am, quite frankly, tired of the continual chorus that whatever the failure, whatever the fault, the costs must be passed on to the consumer. In a competitive market, consumers can go elsewhere if they do not like the service they are receiving. With water, we have no choice. Will the Minister confirm that if there is a failure or a mess-up by the companies, either they, their shareholders or their management will pay for it, not my constituents?
Emma Reynolds
I admire my hon. Friend for swimming in the sea at all times of the year, by the sound of it. This new approach, the overhaul we are announcing in the White Paper, will establish a more powerful, integrated regulator that has more teeth, and a system that puts an end to the water companies marking their own homework—a system in which there is nowhere to hide for poor performance.
Jess Brown-Fuller (Chichester) (LD)
Last year, Southern Water’s chief executive saw their pay double to over £1 million a year, while my constituents in Chichester face rising water bills, sewage outflows that continue for days at a time and the continuing over-abstraction of our chalk streams. What are the Government going to do about these water companies that are evading the bonus ban? Does she agree that a public interest model is the overhaul that we actually need?
Emma Reynolds
As I said, we have already blocked 10 company bosses from taking £4 million-worth of bonuses. I am urging them to respect both the spirit and the letter of the law, and Ofwat is considering further action to hold these companies to account.
Steve Race (Exeter) (Lab)
This is the second major programme of business we have seen in this Parliament, which shows that the Government are getting on with cleaning up our rivers and sorting out the water sector. That will be very welcome in Exeter, where the River Exe has borne the brunt of agricultural run-off and pollution over the last few years.
Exeter is also home to the Centre for Resilience in Environment, Water and Waste, which works with partners to explore some of the new challenges that have come up, including better upstream water management, microplastics and pollutants. What would the Minister say about making sure that all water companies work in partnership to look at innovative solutions to the bigger water challenges that we face? Will she visit to see the centre’s fantastic work?
Emma Reynolds
I am always very happy to visit my hon. Friend. I know that the Nature Minister, my hon. Friend the Member for Coventry East (Mary Creagh), visited last year.
My hon. Friend the Member for Exeter (Steve Race) is absolutely right that we have to strengthen the system. We will strengthen the regional planning system and we are doubling the funding for catchment partnerships. We have to bear down on all sources of water pollution because, as he said, we have to protect our beloved rivers—the one in his constituency and many across the country—that saw record levels of pollution under the previous Government.
Mr Adnan Hussain (Blackburn) (Ind)
The White Paper does not go far enough. It leaves water in private hands while prices rise, pipes rot, rivers are polluted and shareholders profit. Why should my constituents have to pay for the consequences of private mismanagement? Does the Secretary of State accept what many across this Chamber have already said: that the only meaningful change or reform is to bring water back into public ownership?
Emma Reynolds
I understand the frustration that the hon. Gentleman expresses. Like him, I am really frustrated with the levels of pollution in our waterways, and with some of the poor consumer service we see. I do not think the right answer is to embark on a hugely expensive and legally complicated nationalisation, because it would detract from the good work we are doing to get a grip on regulation and to set up a new regulator. He may think it is the right answer, but where would the money come from? Does he want less spending on schools and hospitals as a result?
Anna Dixon (Shipley) (Lab)
There is much to welcome in the White Paper, including the MOT for assets, the increase in funding for community and catchment partnerships, and the greater say for communities in regional planning. However, my Shipley constituents have been let down by Yorkshire Water over many decades, through its blatant profiteering at the expense of customers, leveraging debt of some £6.2 billion. I may have missed it, but will the Secretary of State please assure me that the regulator will have powers to step in when companies such as Yorkshire Water, and more importantly its owner Kelda Holdings, have consistently failed customers?
Emma Reynolds
I thank my hon. Friend for her interest, and indeed for her submission to the Independent Water Commission. On the financial management of our water companies, we have set out in the White Paper that the new regulator will have the power to step in to ensure that unmanageable levels of debt are not taken on by water companies. We have seen some very poor financial dealings in the past, which have led to poor performance and poor maintenance of water assets.
Martin Wrigley (Newton Abbot) (LD)
I welcome the White Paper and a more effective regulator, which is really good. However, I am concerned by the lack of urgency on clean water supply capacity. The report talks of a shortage of 5 billion litres a day by 2050. Meanwhile, we read warnings that seven English regions will be in serious water stress by 2030, and gov.uk and the NFU have warned of potential droughts this summer if not enough rain is captured over January, which has been dry until now. Will the Government accelerate plans for more clean water supply before the 2050 and 2055 dates?
Emma Reynolds
First, I thank the hon. Gentleman for welcoming the White Paper and the work on the new regulator. He is right to underline the importance of water capacity. My hon. Friend the Water Minister has really got a grip on this and is looking at how we prepare for events such as droughts. Perhaps I could set up a meeting for both of them to discuss that.
Neil Duncan-Jordan (Poole) (Lab)
Wessex Water, which serves my Poole constituency, was previously banned from paying bonuses to its company bosses. However, it was able to get around the ban by calling the payments something else or using other mechanisms to pay for failure. Will the Secretary of State therefore explain whether the new White Paper will finally clamp down on these unacceptable practices?
Emma Reynolds
I agree with my hon. Friend that it is unacceptable. These companies should respect both the spirit and the letter of the law. As I have said, Ofwat is considering what further action it can take to ensure that these companies obey the law that this House passed last year.
Charlie Maynard (Witney) (LD)
I welcome the White Paper and thank the Secretary of State and her team for their work. I am keen to understand how it will work in practice. As the Secretary of State will know, Thames Water’s largest equity shareholder wrote down its shareholding to zero in May 2024, so the equity is widely regarded as worthless. That leaves the debt, three quarters of which is held by the London & Valley consortium, the class A creditor. Does she agree that, given that the equity is worthless, leaving only the debt, the consortium obviously has material influence over the company?
Emma Reynolds
I am sorry, but I cannot get into the specifics of Thames Water at what is quite a sensitive moment. What I can say is that it is financially stable, but the Government are prepared for all eventualities, including a special administration regime if one were needed, but I cannot go into the detail of what is happening.
Yuan Yang (Earley and Woodley) (Lab)
Earlier this week, my team and I secured a £12,000 refund from Thames Water for one of my constituents whose pipes had been left to leak for almost half a year. Half a year ago, when I first met Thames Water bosses, I asked them to explain how they would be using higher bills to pay for better pipes and infrastructure in my constituency. It is now almost the end of the financial year and they have set out no explanation. What more can the Secretary of State do to ensure that my constituents are getting their money’s worth out of Thames Water?
Emma Reynolds
Before we legislate for the new regulator, we are encouraging and working with Ofwat to see what can be done to move to a more supervisory approach—similar to what we do in financial services, of which my hon. Friend is well aware—so that we can have a much more tailored and targeted approach. Different water companies are in different situations: some are performing better than others, and some are performing very poorly. I am really sorry to hear what she said. This Government have more than doubled the compensation that consumers will receive if there are outages and problems, which is to be welcomed.
Iqbal Mohamed (Dewsbury and Batley) (Ind)
I welcome the statement from the Secretary of State and the White Paper. Some £7.6 billion has gone from the pockets of my constituents in Dewsbury and Batley, and all other customers of Yorkshire Water, into the pockets of shareholders in the form of dividends. In addition, there has been £1.4 billion in interest payments on money held by the company, yet bills have risen by an eye-watering 28% to 34% in the past year, and are predicted to rise by a further 30% between now and 2030. What steps will the Secretary of State and the Government take, and will they consider retrospective penalties for past failures to claw back dividends that went to shareholders instead of being invested in pipes or used to reduce customers’ bills?
Emma Reynolds
I thank the hon. Member for the kind words with which he started his question. Within days of taking office, my predecessor ringfenced the money that should be invested in maintaining the water infrastructure he talks about. If it is not spent on that, it will go back to customers. We took that action as soon as we got into government.
Alex Mayer (Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard) (Lab)
This week, work begins on storage tanks to stop raw sewage pouring into the River Ouzel during periods of heavy rainfall—I know that my constituents and residents welcome that, as I am sure do the fish in the river. Does the Secretary of State agree that since we have had a Labour Government, it really has been all cisterns go on issues such as this?
Emma Reynolds
I could not agree more with my hon. Friend. We must look at the pre-pipe solutions that she talks about, and the water White Paper emphasises the need to ensure that we reduce the volume of rainwater and pollutants entering the sewerage system in the first place.
Edward Morello (West Dorset) (LD)
The White Paper says that, along with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, DEFRA will implement a new “plan-making system”—a term I have frankly never heard before. I do not know what it means, but it says that water companies will be designated a consultation body for this new plan-making system. Separately, it says that the Government will only consider making water companies statutory consultees in planning applications. Meanwhile, the White Paper says that the Government will ensure that the “right to connect” supports their house building targets. Does the Secretary of State understand that if water companies are not statutory consultees, and we keep building more housing and connecting it to the system, we will simply get more sewage?
Emma Reynolds
The Water Minister chairs a water delivery taskforce, and she is getting a grip on the investment in water assets and infrastructure that water companies have promised. That will ensure that there are fewer leaks and that there is less pressure on the system. We believe there is a way to ensure that we boost water capacity and build more homes in our country.
Connor Naismith (Crewe and Nantwich) (Lab)
Incredibly, last year saw the fifth incident of agricultural pollution in just three years in the River Weaver, which runs through the centre of Nantwich in my constituency, resulting in thousands of dead fish and a stench that permeated our town centre. I pay tribute to Stuart Mitton from the Restore the Weaver action group, local angling groups and local ward councillor Anna Burton for the work they are doing on this, and I welcome the White Paper. How will its proposals ensure that we tackle agricultural run-off into rivers such as the River Weaver and, crucially, that where pollution does occur, we see swift justice?
Emma Reynolds
As I have said, the environmental improvement plan that we published before Christmas sets out a comprehensive plan to tackle agricultural pollution. We are building on that in the White Paper, and we will consult on options to reform how sludge use in agriculture is regulated—that is one measure in the White Paper. We are also doubling the funding for the Environment Agency so that it can increase the number of farm inspections and work in partnership with farmers to get this right.
Calum Miller (Bicester and Woodstock) (LD)
At the first Prime Minister’s questions of this Parliament I had the opportunity to invite the Prime Minister to scrap Ofwat, so I am delighted to see that in the White Paper.
The Minister has said that Ofwat will now protect consumers better. We had terrible floods in my constituency in September 2024 from surface water. The lead local flood authority investigated those and, as is its responsibility, produced section 19 reports. I was shocked to learn that the LLFA has no powers to compel water companies to act on the recommendations—Thames Water had failed to inspect a critical pump for over 20 years. Will the Secretary of State set out how the new regulator will ensure that section 19 recommendations are taken forward to protect consumers better in future?
Emma Reynolds
The hon. Member is right to say that we need to abolish Ofwat—we might have had that idea previously too, by the way. As he knows, at the moment we have four regulators, and sometimes there are duplications or regulatory gaps. That is why the focus of our reforms is on ensuring that we integrate the environmental regulation and the economic regulation of water, because for too long those things have been separate. I would be happy to write to him to respond on the specific issue that he raises.
James Naish (Rushcliffe) (Lab)
My constituents in Rushcliffe, notably in East Leake, have faced sewage spills for far too long, so I am pleased to be working with Severn Trent Water to ensure that new pumping stations and rising mains are installed in East Leake, Wysall and Willoughby-on-the-Wolds over the current price period. How will having a new single water regulator, with real teeth, ensure that that commitment is delivered in the current price period?
Emma Reynolds
I thank my hon. Friend for his question and the opportunity to mention that we will be publishing a transition plan which, as I mentioned in my statement, will set out a road map from where we are now to having the opportunity to legislate. I want to make progress before that Bill is in the House, so that we can start to shift the dial, build on what we did last year in the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025, and move towards that supervisory system that will give the regulator more teeth. We need that new regulator and those new powers in legislation to bear down on incidents such as the one my hon. Friend is talking about.
Richard Foord (Honiton and Sidmouth) (LD)
I welcome the abolition of Ofwat, but I wish to let the Secretary of State know about one of my constituents. Marion from Axminster is aged 85. Her direct debit to South West Water this month is £45, but next month it will nearly treble to over £118. Residents who I represent are fed up with being ripped off by these profiteers. Will the Government look again at Liberal Democrat proposals for a new ownership model, whereby water companies such as South West Water are mutually owned by customers?
Emma Reynolds
As I said previously, I do not have a problem with mutual ownership—I think it is a good thing—but the question the Liberal Democrats have to answer is how they will get there.
Finally, may I say a big thank you to my officials? The water White Paper was a very heavy lift, and there is more detail to come in the transition plan and the water Bill. I also thank Members for the interest we have had across the House, other than from the Conservatives.
Water White Paper
Emma Reynolds Excerpts(2 months ago)
Written StatementsRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Emma Reynolds)
Today I am announcing the launch of this Government’s water White Paper, “A New Vision for Water”.
This paper sets out once-in-a-generation reforms for our water system, putting consumers and the environment first.
For too long, previous Governments have turned a blind eye to record levels of pollution and poor performance.
Companies have been profiting at customers’ expense, with vital infrastructure left to crumble and public trust destroyed.
This Government inherited that failure—and we are not shying away from it.
Every family in this country deserves clean water from their taps, seas their children can swim in, and bills that are fair and affordable.
We have already taken decisive action and have:
passed the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025 to give regulators the powers to ban bonuses for polluting water bosses, and to take tougher and faster action against water companies.
secured a historic investment of £104 billion of private sector funding to rebuild the water network.
established the water delivery taskforce to get spades in the ground, fast-track delivery of new infrastructure projects and drive economic growth.
We are now going further. This White Paper sets out our response to Sir Jon Cunliffe’s Independent Water Commission’s final report of July 2025 and gives a clear vision for the reforms this Government will make to our water sector. I would like to reiterate my thanks to Sir Jon Cunliffe for his excellent leadership of the Commission.
We will:
Set out a clear direction for the water sector by revising the strategic policy statements, rationalising planning and introducing a more joined-up regional water planning function and framework to improve local decision making and delivery. There will be new overarching targets for the water environment to enable consistent oversight and alignment. This will increase the long-term stability of the water sector.
Reset the approach to regulation by abolishing Ofwat and creating a new single, integrated water regulator that combines the functions of the four existing regulators. This will replace the currently fragmented system with a proactive and targeted supervisory approach tailored to individual companies. We will create a new performance improvement regime to give the regulator the power to step in and put things right for the poorest performing companies.
Make the water sector more attractive to, and reliable for, long-term low-risk investors by simplifying performance commitments. We will introduce new measures to improve financial resilience and ensure investors receive a fair and stable return that compensates for risk.
Make sure customers are protected by creating a new independent water ombudsman, alongside stronger protections to keep bills predictable, affordable and fair. There will be better access to smarter metering to help those who need it most. New water efficiency labels will be on every appliance, so when customers buy a washing machine or shower, they will know exactly what it will cost not just to buy, but to run.
Protect our waterways from pollution with record investment in storm overflows and waste water treatment, taking action to tackle sewer misuse and introducing a clearer set of standards and enforcement for agricultural pollution. We will also end operator self-monitoring and develop a new, strengthened open monitoring approach, making data accessible to the public in near real time and helping to restore public trust in the system.
Increase the resilience and security of the water system by introducing statutory resilience standards and improving mapping of asset health. There will be new “MOT” checks on water infrastructure to stop water company assets being left to crumble. The new regulator will have a chief engineer and engineering capability so that decisions are grounded in practical understanding. We will improve infrastructure planning with better regulatory oversight to deliver projects more efficiently, attract third-party investment, and protect infrastructure from growing risks.
Several reforms will be taken forward immediately while others will form the foundation of a new water Bill. The Bill will provide the powers necessary for transformation and deliver the outcomes the public deserve.
To help stakeholders manage these changes, we will publish a transition plan detailing the journey to a new system.
This Government were elected with a clear mandate to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas. We remain committed to delivering on that promise.
We will work in partnership with the water sector, investors and communities to drive this sector-wide transformation.
[HCWS1259]
Farming: Profitability and Sustainability
Emma Reynolds Excerpts(2 months, 2 weeks ago)
Written StatementsRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Emma Reynolds)
Farmers are at the heart of our national life—for what they produce, the communities they sustain, and the landscapes and heritage they protect.
Since becoming Secretary of State, I have seen first hand the resilience farmers show in the face of increasingly unpredictable weather and volatile markets, their innovation in finding new ways to farm productively and sustainably in a changing climate, and their determination to build businesses that they can pass on to the next generation.
Today, at the Oxford farming conference, I have announced a package of measures that show that we are serious about partnership with the farming sector, that we are committed to giving farmers clarity and stability, and that we are backing farmers to grow their businesses with confidence and resilience.
We recognise that when British farming thrives, consumers benefit through affordable, high-quality food on their tables. We are ensuring that modern British agriculture is productive, profitable and sustainable.
This was a key theme in the recommendations from Baroness Batters’ farming profitability review. In response to the review, we are establishing the farming and food partnership board, which will give farmers and food businesses a seat at the table when policy is developed. This is part of our ongoing commitment to work in partnership with farmers to make decisions that stand for the long term—not just for the life of one Parliament, but for the future of British farming.
At the heart of this partnership is listening. I have listened to farmers and stakeholders about their concerns on proposed changes to inheritance tax. That is why we are increasing the inheritance tax threshold for agricultural and business property relief from £1 million to £2.5 million. This means that couples can now pass on up to £5 million without paying inheritance tax on their assets. That is on top of the existing allowances such as the nil rate band. Around 85% of estates claiming agricultural property relief, including those also claiming business property relief, will pay no more inheritance tax in 2026-27. The reforms will still ensure that the wealthiest estates do not receive unlimited relief.
Today’s package of announcements include:
An update on the sustainable farming incentive—This includes our plans to simplify the scheme and make it more focused, with fewer actions and less complexity. Previously, 90% of SFI spending went on fewer than 40 of the 102 actions available. A quarter of SFI money goes to just 4% of farms. This is not fair. We will improve fairness and accessibility, including by initially opening the scheme to small farms and those without an existing agreement. We are committing to greater stability following lessons learned from last year, including regular updates on uptake. These reforms will also help us to meet our ambitious environmental improvement plan target to double the number of farms delivering for wildlife, while recognising that food production is the core of farmer’s businesses. SFI needs to work alongside food production, not displace it, so we will also review how much land can be put into certain actions and review payment rates for others.
£30 million Government investment in the Farmer Collaboration Fund, funding peer-to-peer networks and advice—We are developing a new approach that will provide funding for existing and new farmer groups and networks. It will help those groups to connect with experts and create strong partnerships on everything from environmental action to business growth.
A long-term transformation of England’s upland areas—Our uplands provide over 70% of our drinking water, support rural livelihoods and are home to precious wildlife and beautiful landscapes; and they produce food in some of the most challenging conditions anywhere in the country. For too long, upland communities have faced a perfect storm of economic fragility, social isolation and environmental pressures. We want to change that. Over the last year, we have started working with social entrepreneur Dr Hilary Cottam on a new approach—an approach where we get out on the ground and talk directly to upland communities. This has been the beginning of what is a long-term partnership, starting with communities in Dartmoor, then Cumbria. Working with Hilary, our next step will be to develop a place-based approach for what these communities need, co-designing solutions to specific problems—for example, by developing a common understanding of how land can be best used for food production and the public good. Together, we will look at pooling public, private and third sector resources, laying the foundations for new income streams, and creating the skills and networks that let communities lead their own transformation.
Extending the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme for another three years, with £30 million in funding next year—This locally led programme has farmers and FiPL advisers working side-by-side to deliver projects tailored to their landscapes. This extension means farmers in our most precious landscapes can continue delivering for nature, climate and their communities.
We will continue to work alongside farmers to deliver these changes through our new farming and food partnership board, through peer-to-peer networks, through community-led change, and through engagement on the detailed changes to SFI.
We will provide the certainty farmers need to plan, giving clear timelines and a clear way forward with the farming roadmap later this year.
And we will deliver growth built on strong foundations: profitable farming and a thriving environment—not as a trade-off, but as two sides of the same coin.
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Animal Welfare Strategy
Emma Reynolds Excerpts(2 months, 2 weeks ago)
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The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Emma Reynolds)
We are a nation of animal lovers. People across the country care deeply for animals, and the UK has a proud history of being pioneers when it comes to ensuring the very best for them. This Government are committed to safeguarding the welfare of animals for the long term, and we are changing how we will deliver the improvements needed to achieve the most ambitious reforms to animal welfare in a generation.
On 22 December, the Government published our new animal welfare strategy. This strategy sets out the UK Government’s priorities for England, focusing on the changes and improvements we aim to achieve by 2030.
The strategy is a comprehensive package of reforms that will improve the lives of millions of animals across the UK at home, on farm and in the wild.
We set out how we will deliver our manifesto pledges to ban trail hunting and the use of snare traps, and to end puppy farming and puppy smuggling. We are giving farm animals greater freedom and dignity and protecting our wildlife.
By improving animal welfare standards, we are supporting healthier, more productive livestock that delivers better outcomes for farmers, farm profitability, food security and the high welfare standards that British consumers expect.
The animal welfare strategy builds on this Government’s proven track record in delivering reforms for animals. This includes introducing new world-leading standards for zoos earlier this year and supporting the passage of the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Act 2025 and the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Act 2025.
In November last year, we published a strategy on replacing animals in science, which set out how we would partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing.
Rather than piecemeal legislation, we will take a more strategic approach—one that targets intervention where it is most needed. This means tighter regulation where standards are weakest, effective enforcement, and working with the sector to provide animal keepers and owners with additional support where they need it.
This animal welfare strategy has been developed in conjunction with key stakeholders including representatives of the companion, wild companion, wild animal, and farming sectors along with non-governmental organisations, and those involved in enforcement. We have held roundtable discussions on priorities while working to understand the underlying issues that lead to poor welfare. We also received input from other interested parties.
The Government recognise that each sector and species of animal has its own needs and challenges that must be considered to ensure good welfare. As such, different approaches are required, balancing priorities, interventions, legislation and roles for different organisations.
Key commitments in the strategy include:
We are ending puppy farming by consulting on reforming dog breeding practices to improve health and welfare and move away from practices that lead to poor welfare and unwell animals.
We will consider the introduction of new licences for domestic rescue and rehoming organisations to ensure rescues have the right checks in place.
We are promoting responsible dog ownership to protect public safety, and are looking forward to seeing the recommendations from the responsible dog ownership taskforce in due course.
We will consult on a ban on the use of electric shock collars due to the possible harm these devices cause to our pets.
As set out in our manifesto, we will ban trail hunting and will consult shortly on how to deliver this ban.
We will end the use of snare traps because they cause suffering to animals and can catch animals that they were not meant to, including pets and protected wildlife.
We will consider how to introduce a close season for hares which should reduce the number of adult hares being shot in the breeding season, meaning that fewer young hares are left motherless and vulnerable to starvation and predation.
We will consult on moving away from confinement systems such as colony cages for laying hens and farrowing crates for pigs so that animals can express their normal behaviours.
We will improve welfare for pigs at the time of killing by phasing out the use of CO2 gas stunning for pigs, which causes pain and distress, subject to a consultation.
We will introduce humane slaughter requirements for farmed fish.
We will work with industry to promote the use of slow growing meat chicken breeds.
We will form a fur working group of both industry experts and stakeholders who support restrictions on the trade in fur to help us explore options for addressing concerns in this area.
We will begin by launching two public consultations in January, on the use of cages for laying hens, pullets and breeder layers, and on lamb castration and tail docking, as the first step toward advancing these ambitious animal welfare reforms.
Our vision is simple: we want as many animals as possible to have the highest welfare standards at every stage of their life. Together with industry, non-governmental organisations and individuals, this Government will deliver the most ambitious reforms for animal welfare in a generation, creating a legacy we can all be proud of.
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