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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of implementing the measures in the Chalk Streams (Sewerage Investment) Bill.

This Government is committed to the protection and restoration of our cherished chalk streams.

We are already taking action to hold water companies and other polluters to account through the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025 and water companies are required to prepare, publish and maintain comprehensive Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans setting out the actions the company intends to take or continue, to deliver robust public sewerage services and prevent environmental damage, including to chalk streams.

Chalk streams are ‘high-priority sites’ as part of the Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan and are prioritised as part of the £11bn of investment to improve nearly 3,000 storm overflows in England and Wales over the next 5 years.