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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to protect (a) fish and (b) other wildlife from being (i) injured and (ii) killed in the waterways surrounding Hinkley Point C.

Defra relies on its Arms-Length Bodies to advise on the impact of major infrastructure projects such as Hinkley C. Mitigations for potential harms to fish and wildlife are agreed as part of the Development Consent Order process.

In line with this, potential impacts upon fish species and other wildlife in the surrounding waterways were assessed prior to the power station being granted a Development Consent Order and associated Environmental Permits. Mitigations agreed include the management and monitoring of impacts associated with noise, visual and light disturbance to wildlife; entrapment of fish from the cooling water system; and water discharge activity.