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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of levels of water pollution in the River Thames.

The Environment Agency responds to reports of pollution via its National Incident hotline. It also proactively identifies pollution to water bodies by carrying out targeted ecological and water quality monitoring.

Monitoring under the European Union Water Framework Directive involves assessing the water environment for its ecological and water quality status. The River Thames currently has a Moderate rating, an improvement on the 2009 baseline. The next round of classifications are due to be released in 2019.

The Environment Agency is in the process of updating the River Basin Management Plan which will develop further measures to improve the habitat, water quality and diversity of the river. This will be delivered through partnerships with industry, land owners, community groups and Defra.