Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing an independent reporting mechanism for assessing sewage pollution by water companies.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We have increased the number of storm overflows monitored across the network in England from approximately 7% in 2010, to 100% coverage before the end of 2023. These event duration monitors will provide a complete picture of when, and for how long, each storm overflow operates.
Under our landmark Environment Act, we made it a legal requirement for companies to provide discharge data to the Environment Agency and to make it available in near real time to the public. By bringing in this comprehensive monitoring, this government and its regulators have enabled the extent of sewage discharges to be revealed, so we are better equipped to tackle this challenge.
In April 2023, we also launched our consultation on Continuous Water Quality Monitoring and Event Duration Monitoring. This outlines the government’s proposals to enhance the monitoring of storm overflow and final effluent discharges. Government’s response to this consultation was issued on 14 September 2023, and water companies are now taking forward plans to implement this programme from 2025.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with water companies on (a) preventative measures to stop sewage dumping and (b) improving infrastructure.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Secretary of State has regular engagement with water companies to discuss a range of issues including preventative measures to reduce sewage discharges, and improvements to water company infrastructure.
For example, in December 2023, he wrote to all water company Chief Executives, requesting that they improve sewer maintenance programmes over the next twelve months to help prevent storm overflow discharges. This programme will support the stringent targets set out in the government’s Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan, which will drive the largest infrastructure programme in water company history of £60 billion over 25 years.
On 11 March, the Government announced the additional fast-tracked investment of £180 million over the next 12 months to help reduce sewage spills. This is expected to prevent more than 8000 sewage spills polluting English waterways.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many and what proportion of applications for new designated bathing water sites were (a) accepted and (b) rejected since 2010.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Since 2010 there have been 24 successful applications for bathing water designation in England. For data retention reasons, we only hold the number of unsuccessful applications from 2016. In 2023 Defra received 30 applications for proposed new designated bathing waters, 27 of which met the application eligibility criteria and were therefore included in the public consultation which closed on 10 March 2024.
Based on our records, the breakdown of successful and unsuccessful applications for designated bathing waters received since 2010 is in the attached table.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to encourage accurate reporting of sewage pollution by water companies.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has made it clear that the amount of sewage discharged into our waters is unacceptable. That is why our Plan for Water sets out more investment, stronger regulation and tougher enforcement to tackle widespread sources of pollution.
We are making the water industry accountable on a scale never seen before. To achieve this, we have ensured that 100 per cent of storm overflows in England are now monitored, dramatically increasing the information we have on storm overflow activity. We included provisions in the Environment Act 2021 that build on this monitoring programme by requiring the publication of near-real time data on storm overflow activity by no later than 2025. We are also working to bring forward secondary legislation to support our new continuous water quality monitoring programme, which will provide world-leading information on the impact of storm overflow and final effluent discharges on watercourses.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Transport on supporting the clean air zone by investing in sustainable transport in Portsmouth.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The latest air quality data for Portsmouth was published in September 2023 as part of the 2022 National Compliance Assessment. The report is publicly available and can be found on the Defra UK Air website.
Portsmouth City Council has been allocated £9.4 million of funding to implement their local nitrogen dioxide reduction plan and to support those impacted by the plan. We continue to work closely with the local authority as they monitor and assess the success of their plan and consider if further measures are required.
The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a wide range of issues, and Cabinet discussions are considered confidential.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the clean air zone on improving air quality in Portsmouth.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The latest air quality data for Portsmouth was published in September 2023 as part of the 2022 National Compliance Assessment. The report is publicly available and can be found on the Defra UK Air website.
Portsmouth City Council has been allocated £9.4 million of funding to implement their local nitrogen dioxide reduction plan and to support those impacted by the plan. We continue to work closely with the local authority as they monitor and assess the success of their plan and consider if further measures are required.
The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a wide range of issues, and Cabinet discussions are considered confidential.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to improve the availability of sanitary bins in male toilets.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This is an important issue which impacts many people, including those affected by prostate cancer treatment. The Government encourages local authorities to consider such provision in public toilets to support those with this need but does not have powers to compel the provision of sanitary bins in public toilets. I would encourage the hon. Member to raise the issue locally.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Health and Safety Executive on updating regulations to ensure that suitable means for the disposal of sanitary dressings is provided in all toilets.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This is an important issue which impacts many people, including those affected by prostate cancer treatment. The Government encourages local authorities to consider such provision in public toilets to support those with this need but does not have powers to compel the provision of sanitary bins in public toilets. I would encourage the hon. Member to raise the issue locally. The Secretary of State has regular discussions with the Government’s arm’s-length bodies, including the Health and Safety Executive, on a range of issues.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Common User Charge proposal on trends in the level of food imports at Portsmouth International Port.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is analysing the responses to the 'Charging arrangements at government-run border control posts' consultation and carefully assessing potential impacts on food imports. This will ensure we implement a charging system that will deliver best value for traders, and one that meets the Government’s cost recovery objectives in as transparent and fair way as possible. We expect to publish a summary of the responses and an update on the Common User Charge proposal shortly.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending the clean air zone to Portsmouth’s port.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Department has not made an assessment of any changes to Portsmouth’s Clean Air Zone.