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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to clear up water ways in the West Midlands.

Navigation authorities are responsible for keeping their waterways clear of obstacles, rubbish, aquatic plant overgrowths, and any other impediments to ensure safety of navigation for users. They also work closely with the relevant authorities in responding to pollution incidents; an example of this was the Canal and River Trust working with the Environment Agency and others to deal with a serious pollution incident in the Walsall Canal in August 2024.

More widely in the West Midlands in 2024/25 the Environment Agency’s Water Industry National Environment Programme included over 160 actions aimed at improving sewage treatment works and storm overflow discharges to improve water quality and over 100 actions aiming to prevent deterioration of water quality. There is also a continued focus on the impact of agriculture on our rivers, with more than 400 farm inspections conducted by the Environment Agency across the West Midlands in 2024/25.

In 2024/25, £1.9m of Water Environment Improvement Fund money was invested in the West Midlands. Through partnerships, 29 projects were delivered improving or enhancing 15km of watercourse and more than 110 hectares. These projects covered rural land management, urban communities, and habitats and priority species including Atlantic Salmon, Trout, and White-Clawed Crayfish.