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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the condition of the water in the River Thames.

Cleaning up England’s rivers, lakes and seas is a priority for the Government. The Government has taken immediate and substantial action to address the performance of water companies who are not delivering for the environment or their customers.

Significant steps are being taken to address pollution through the Water (Special Measures) Act and record investment in PR24 to enhance infrastructure, and ensure clean and sustainable water resources for future generations.

As part of Price Review 24 (PR24), Thames Water will undertake a significant investment programme to improve the environment over the 2025-30 period. These investments include: £784 million to reduce the use of storm overflows and £1.2 billion to prevent nutrient pollution.

At the beginning of February, the Thames Tideway Tunnel (TTT) was fully activated and is now diverting sewage flows away from the river. The TTT was the final part of the London Tideway Tunnel system which will help reduce the volume of discharges by around 95%, leaving behind a cleaner, healthier Thames.

On 13 March, the Mayor of London announced plans for investment to clean up London’s rivers. The Mayor, Transport for London, Thames Tideway, London Wildlife Trust, and Thames Water announced an injection of over £1.8 billion across the next five years to protect and improve river health in London. The plans include £7 million to prevent road run-off pollution from entering waterways and help reduce flood risk.