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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help tackling potential water shortages relating to population growth in the future.

The Government is committed to a twin track approach to improving water resilience. This involves action to improve water efficiency and reduce water company leaks alongside investing in new supply infrastructure, including new reservoirs and water transfers.

All water companies have a statutory duty to provide a secure supply of water for customers, efficiently and economically and set out how they plan to continue to supply water to their customers through Water Resources Management Plans (WRMPs). These plans are statutory and will set out how each company will continue to meet this duty and manage water supply and demand including leaks, sustainably for at least the next 25 years.

As outlined by Ofwat in their final determinations for PR24, approximately £8 billion will be spent across England between 2025 and 2030 to deliver the company WRMPs and boost our water supply and manage demand. This includes progressing 9 new reservoirs and many water transfer schemes.