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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her policy is on reduction of the virtual footprint of UK water usage.

The Government recognises we must ensure a sustainable and secure water supply for the future. Defra encourages businesses to become more water efficient by, for example, incentivising the purchase of water efficient technology and providing business tools to manage their water use so as to save water and money.

Through the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), Defra supports sector-led action to understand and reduce the environmental impacts of products sold in the UK. In some cases, this includes looking at their water footprint. For example, signatories of the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan have committed to a 15% reduction in water use per tonne of clothing by 2020.

As part of its wider work to ensure the UK has a secure, environmentally sustainable and affordable supply of food, the UK government is encouraging the UK food and drink industry to use resources more sustainably. Lead trade associations and major businesses have developed sustainability strategies, which include targets to measure and reduce water use. For example, the Federation House Commitment aims to help reduce overall water usage across the food and drink sector by 20% by 2020.

We are also looking to improve water efficiency internationally through ongoing negotiations on the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals.