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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will take steps to ensure that (a) the River Frome and (b) other chalk streams outside of designated protected landscapes receive equal consideration for (i) conservation and (ii) restoration.

This Government is committed to the restoration of our cherished chalk streams. With 85% of the world’s chalk streams found in the UK, these unique water bodies are not just vital ecosystems but a symbol of our national heritage.

The Government is committed to restoring our rivers, lakes and seas, including chalk streams. This is why on 23 October 2024 the UK and Welsh Governments launched an independent commission, led by Sir Jon Cunliffe and supported by expert advisors, to recommend reforms to reset the water sector regulatory system. The commission aims to build consensus for a resilient and innovative water sector and a robust wider regulatory framework that will deliver long-term benefits to ultimately serve both customers and the environment.

The main pressures on the Dorset Frome are point-source and diffuse pollution, historic land use and water management changes such as weirs and channel straightening, and water resources balance. The Environment Agency is working with partners in the Frome Headwaters catchment this year to further understand and address some of these issues with a focus on reducing fine sediment input and improving habitat.