Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Havant Thicket Reservoir is one of the nine new reservoirs referenced in the press release entitled Reeves: I am going further and faster to kick start the economy, published on 28 January 2025.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Havant Thicket Reservoir was not one of the nine new reservoirs referenced in the press release.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the press release entitled Reeves: I am going further and faster to kick start the economy, published on 28 January 2025, whether a new reservoir will be built in Hampshire.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Portsmouth Water’s Havant Thicket Reservoir will be the first reservoir built in over 30 years. The Havant Thicket Reservoir is under construction. It will have a capacity of 8.7 billion litres, supply an average of 21 million litres of water per day and is forecast to be operational in 2032. The reservoir will improve the resilience of local water supplies and protect iconic chalk streams.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help reduce the number of secondary poisonings of (a) buzzards and (b) red kites.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Secondary poisoning of buzzards and red kites is often caused by improper use of anticoagulant rodenticides. Deliberate misuse is a criminal offence. Where wild birds of prey are killed illegally the full force of the law will apply to any proven perpetrators of the crime. Defra supports the National Wildlife Crime Unit which helps prevent and detect wildlife crimes such as illegal poisoning by obtaining and disseminating intelligence and directly assisting law enforcers in their investigations.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) rather than Defra has policy responsibility for rodenticides which are an essential tool in managing the danger and economic costs of rodents spreading diseases, damaging property and disrupting food supplies. Given the potential risks posed to the environment by rodenticides, they are subject to strict regulation.
A stewardship regime has been set up to promote responsible use of rodenticides. For professional users, verification of competence is required at the point of sale to ensure only those who are properly trained can use them. The stewardship regime is currently under review and the outcome is expected in 2025. Furthermore, as of 4 July 2024, it is no longer possible to purchase anticoagulant rodenticides for use outdoors in open areas.