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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when her Department plans to publish a response to the public consultation on Water Efficiency Standards in the Building Regulations (2010), which closed on 16 December 2025.

The Department is taking steps to mitigate water demand from new housing developments in water stressed regions. Policy amendments considering the tightening of Water Efficiency Standards in Building Regulations have been tested through a public consultation which ran from September to December 2025.

The Government response, to be jointly issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is expected in Summer 2026. The response will set out how we will tighten water efficiency standards in new homes to protect water stressed regions. As well as a plan to enable non-potable water, including rainwater harvesting and greywater reuse, in all new homes over the next 10 years.