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 provide funding to (a) improve water quality in the river Tone in Somerset and (b) reduce pollution discharges (i) upstream of French Weir Bathing Water and (ii) downstream at Hook Bridge.

For too long, water companies have discharged unacceptable levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas. This Government is committed to holding water companies to account to protect the environment.

Ofwat published their final determinations for Price Review 2024 on 19 December, which sets company expenditure and customer bills for 2025-2030. This will deliver substantial, lasting improvements for customers and the environment through a £104bn delivery plan for the water sector, including around £12bn to reduce spills from storm overflows.

Under these plans, Wessex Water will investigate and invest to improve water company assets along the River Tone, including those discharging to the French Weir designated bathing water, which will also benefit Hook Bridge. They committed to ensuring their spills will have no adverse ecological impact by 2050 through the Storm Overflow Discharge Reduction Plan, with the most sensitive sites prioritised for early action.

The Water (Special Measures) Bill will also drive meaningful improvements in the performance and culture of the water industry as a first important step in enabling wider, transformative change across the water sector.