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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his policy is on the reinvestment of environmental (a) fines and (b) penalties collected from (i) water and (ii) sewerage companies since November 2023 through the Water Restoration Fund.

The Water Restoration Fund is reinvesting funding based on water company environmental fines and penalties into projects to improve the water environment. The Water Restoration Fund funding is based on water company fines and penalties from April 2022 until October 2023.

Up to £11 million of funding was made available on a competitive basis to support a range of water restoration projects.

Following a rigorous assessment process, I am pleased to say that current applicants to the Water Restoration Fund have been contacted regarding the outcome of their application.