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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has produced an impact assessment on the impact of sewage dumping by water companies on shellfish.

We have not produced an impact assessment specifically on the impact of sewage dumping by water companies on shellfish. However, the Government has designated 101 shellfish water protected areas in England where water quality is monitored for E. coli.

We have identified 63 priority areas where there is significant economic production and have the potential to meet the E. coli standard by 2030, or where action is needed to prevent deterioration. The Environment Agency will require water companies to review what action is needed in these priority areas, whether that is improvement, prevention of deterioration or investigation. This will lead to reductions in sewage discharges from storm overflows and disinfection of treated sewage.