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 help reduce sewage discharges in East Devon constituency.

The Government is 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 have legislated to introduce unlimited penalties on water companies which breach their environmental permits and expand the range of offences to which penalties can be applied, giving the Environment Agency the tools it needs to hold water companies including South West Water (SWW) accountable.

The Environment Agency has worked with water companies to complete a programme to install Event Duration Monitoring to provide robust and consistent monitoring of how often and for how long all Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) are used. This was completed for all CSOs in Devon and Cornwall in 2023.

The Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) is an important mechanism for delivering benefits to the natural environment. The Environment Agency works closely with SWW to review investigations and influence improvements to water company assets and activities which impact the environment, including but not limited to bathing waters, drinking water protected areas and sites of special scientific interest.

The Environment Agency is currently investigating two recent incidents in Exmouth and has required SWW to provide data and information to support its investigations. The Environment Agency is seeking assurance that SWW is doing all it can to mitigate the environmental impacts, while the Environment Agency waits for future overdue improvements through WINEP. The prioritisation of improvements remains a substantial agenda item at regular performance meetings with the company.