Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how her Department scrutinises South East Water’s performance in providing alternative water to vulnerable customers following the loss of water supply.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) regulate water company performance against the Security and Emergency Measures Direction (SEMD), including its requirement for companies to identify and prioritise vulnerable customers.
The DWI’s assessment into the supply failures experienced by South East Water customers in the Tunbridge Wells area provides a recent illustration of how DWI scrutinise company performance against SEMD requirements.
The DWI have a range of enforcement options for non-compliance. These include the ability to serve companies with enforcement orders under section 18 of the Water Industry Act. DWI enforcement against South East Water for the multiple failings experienced in late 2025 and early 2026 should lead to improved resilience measures in the longer term, but the scale of the changes required will take time to implement. In the meantime, the Government expects SEW to take urgent action to improve the robustness of its contingency plans to meet SEMD obligations.
Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what targets the Department gives water suppliers for the delivery of alternative water to vulnerable residents following the loss of water supply.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Security and Emergency Measures Direction (SEMD 2022) requires water companies to make, keep under review, test and revise plans to ensure the continuation of their water supply functions, and ensure they have the necessary capability, capacity and facilities to implement their plans. In the event of an unavoidable failure of normal (piped) supply, companies must ensure that a minimum supply of safe drinking water is provided by alternative means, with a specific requirement to identify and prioritise its vulnerable customers.
Companies must make available 10 litres of alternative water per day to all customers who are off supply within 24 hours of an incident starting, and maintain this supply until the piped supply is restored. Defra expects water companies to follow Ofwat guidance on supporting vulnerable customers during incidents. Their plans should take into account the higher-than-average quantities of water needed by some vulnerable customers, in particular those with specific medical needs, as well as being able to promptly identify and support to vulnerable customers, including transient vulnerabilities and customers that are not on a Priority Services Register (PSR).
Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, to set out a timetable and a strategy for expanding the number of National Landscapes.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Natural England (NE) is the organisation which has powers to designate National Landscapes (formerly Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, AONBs).
NE is working on proposals to extend the boundary of the Surrey Hills National Landscape, and to create a new National Landscape in the Yorkshire Wolds. The package of evidence for each designation project is expected to be submitted to the Secretary of State (SoS) in Summer 2026. The SoS will then make a decision for each project.
There is no formal application process for National Landscape designation and NE takes an evidence-led approach, guided by government policy steers. Beyond the present projects, Defra is prioritising support for our existing Protected Landscapes.
Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many meetings of the Water Delivery Taskforce have been held to discuss South East Water's performance since 13 November 2025.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra and the regulators have met regularly with South East Water since 13 November 2025 to discuss company performance. The Water Delivery Taskforce met with South East Water on 21 April 2026.
Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what statutory guidance his Department issues to water companies on issuing compensation to customers in cases where the minimum standards of service required under The Water Supply and Sewerage Services (Customer Service Standards) Regulations 2008 have not been met.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Water Supply and Sewerage Services (Customer Service Standards) Regulations 2008 are often referred to as the Guaranteed Standards Scheme (GSS). The GSS establishes baseline expectations for customer service and corresponding payments to be made to affected customers when the standards have not been met. The independent economic regulator Ofwat provides guidance on the scheme, as well as monitors and makes determinations to resolve disputes over GSS claims between companies and customers.
Following a public consultation, the Government confirmed on 17 December 2024 that it will introduce new and increased statutory payments of double the previous amounts or more. The changes will also see the list of circumstances that can trigger compensation expand.
Furthermore, in October 2024 UK and Welsh Governments launched what is expected to be the largest review of the water sector since privatisation, with an Independent Water Commission to examine the sector and its regulatory framework.
Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information he holds on the timetable for the local inquiry under section 17(3)(f)(i) of the River Medway (Flood Relief) Act 1976.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
The Environment Agency has applied to enlarge the Leigh Flood Storage Area, via an amendment to the scheme made under the River Medway (Flood Relief) Act 1976 (“the 1976 Act”). In making this application the Environment Agency has consulted interested parties, who have raised concerns, which remain.
Given these concerns remain, and some interested parties supported a local inquiry to examine the application and their concerns, a local inquiry is the appropriate next step.
The local inquiry will be held by a Planning Inspector and I am hopeful that it will begin in the first half of 2021. My officials are currently working with the Environment Agency and the Planning Inspectorate on the details of the specific timetable. This will ensure that the appropriate procedures are followed and that any proposed dates are convenient for all interested parties.
My officials will continue to keep all interested parties, including your Constituency Office, updated on progress and when the inquiry will begin.
Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what meetings his Department has had with fast food outlets on using vehicle recognition technology to print number plates on take-aways, to make it easier to trace people guilty of littering and fly-tipping.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
Defra has not held meetings with fast food outlets specifically on using vehicle recognition technology to print vehicle registration numbers on take-away packaging. We do not think it would be appropriate to require take away vendors to implement such a system due to the additional regulatory burden it would place on these businesses. However, we strongly support voluntary initiatives to reduce littering and we know that some fast-food outlets have piloted similar schemes with some success. The success of any such scheme would be dependent on the willingness of the local authority to follow up with enforcement. Local authorities have the autonomy to decide how to prioritise their enforcement activities.
We believe that businesses should try to reduce the amount of litter their products generate. The Litter Strategy sets out how we intend to work with the relevant industries to tackle certain types of particularly problematic litter, including fast-food packaging, smoking-related litter and chewing gum.
Our forthcoming Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme for packaging will require producers to cover the full net costs of managing packaging at its end of life, including litter. We plan to undertake a second consultation on EPR for packaging in early 2021. In preparation for that consultation, we are currently reviewing the proposed timeline for its introduction.
Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge)
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 with representatives from supermarkets to ensure that people on the covid-19 shielded patient list have access to supermarket home deliveries after support from the Government has ended; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
Those who have been advised that they need to shield will still be able to register for support to access food until 17 July. This includes access to emergency food parcels and priority access to supermarket delivery. After this date, the National Shielding Service will no longer accept registrations. From 1 August, the advice to shield ends and so will delivery of emergency food parcels.
Supermarkets and convenience stores have played a phenomenal part in ensuring sure the nation has access to food and essential supplies. Supermarkets have confirmed that shielded individuals who have requested help to access food will retain their priority access to online delivery slots after 1 August.
If an individual registers for support before the deadline, and does not yet have an online account with supermarkets, supermarkets will continue to update their priority matching lists until 31 July. If a supermarket delivery slot is needed, please encourage shielded individuals to create online accounts with supermarkets as soon as possible. We are working continuously across Government and with supermarkets to remove barriers to accessing online delivery.
When the advice to shield ends, there will still be options in place to support people to access food if they need help. If someone cannot access delivery slots, and friends and family are not able to help, then the NHS Volunteer Responders will continue to offer support with getting access to food. There are also other commercially available options including telephone ordering, food box delivery, prepared meal delivery and other non-supermarket food delivery providers. Local Authorities can help people in urgent need of support.
Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what protections are provided by (a) the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and (b) other legislation to residents who have increased medical needs as a result of the planting of oil seed rape near their properties.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
The issue of the impact of oilseed rape on health, specifically in relation to allergies, is kept under review by Defra. Based on the scientific evidence currently available, there would be no justification for regulating the planting and growing of oilseed rape. Defra is responsible for certain legislation that protects human health, including but not limited to air quality legislation and statutory nuisance provisions, however, these do not specifically contain protections from oilseed rape.
Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether local authorities may use their powers under section 71 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to (a) investigate and (b) quickly remove fly-tipping on private land.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
The general power in section 71(2) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to require any person to provide specified information does not extend to local authorities and is limited to the Secretary of State and, in England, the Environment Agency. Under section 71(2A), local authorities have this power but only with regards to their right to search and seize vehicles under sections 34B and 34C. Local authorities do have a range of powers under section 108 of the Environment Act 1995 to investigate pollution incidents.
It is the responsibility of a landowner to dispose of waste fly-tipped on private land. However, under sections 59 and 59ZA of the Environmental Protection Act, local authorities are able to require an occupier or landowner to remove such waste from their land within a specified time, which is not less than 21 days. A local authority is also able to remove such waste in certain circumstances such as where it is necessary that the waste be removed immediately to prevent pollution of land, water or air or harm to human health.