Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent progress he has made on improving the cleanliness of Lancashire’s rivers.

The Environment Agency (EA) is responsible for the health of England’s rivers, including the monitoring of the river network for the quality of the water chemistry and ecology. 54% of Lancashire’s rivers are now of good status or higher with 143km of rivers enhanced since January 2016. The EA is investing a total of £801,000 this year in projects across Lancashire which directly or indirectly relate to water quality improvement in rivers and estuaries.

The Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) for the period 2015–2020 includes a number of requirements for the water company to improve sewage discharges so that the water quality in Lancashire’s rivers is improved.

The EA is working with Natural England to support farmers in protecting and improving watercourses through the Catchment Sensitive Farming scheme. The EA is also contributing to river enhancements through catchment partnerships, such as the Ribble Rivers Trust.

Recently improved water quality has meant salmon and sea trout are now reaching the upper reaches of the River Calder in east Lancashire, where they were previously absent due to poor water quality and in-river barriers. Improved river water quality is also a significant factor in the improvement of the coastal bathing waters, with all ten designated beaches in Lancashire now of good or excellent status.