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 ensure that the South of England maintains required water levels for additional housing in the context of predicted heatwaves.

Government is committed to a twin track approach to improving water resilience. This involves urgent action to improve water efficiency and reduce water company leaks, alongside investing in new supply infrastructure, including new reservoirs and water transfers. With £8 billion unlocked, projects like the Havant Thicket Reservoir in Hampshire and the proposed White Horse Reservoir in Oxfordshire will help ensure water security in Southern England.

Water companies must also maintain their statutory plans to secure water supplies and are required to review the plans annually to take account of changes, such as housing growth and the impacts of climate change.