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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the (a) current and (b) future (i) capacity and (ii) performance of sewage and drainage infrastructure in (A) England and (B) York.

The Government recognises the importance of having a robust capacity and performance for England’s sewage and drainage infrastructure, both now and into future. As part of the Environment Act 2021, a new duty has been created for water companies in England, including Yorkshire Water, to produce Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans (DWMPs). DWMPs set out how a water company intends to improve their drainage and wastewater systems over the next 25 years, accounting for factors including growing population and changing environmental circumstances. These plans will help sewerage companies to fully assess the capacity of the wastewater network and develop collaborative solutions to current problems and future issues. The plans will bring together various stakeholders including local authorities and industry regulators. Taking a longer-term strategic approach to drainage management, will help to identify and mitigate issues related to insufficient network capacity or damaged infrastructure.