Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his timescale is for approving projects classed as amber within the Water Industry National Environment Programme.
The Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) sets out the environmental asset improvement schemes, investigations, monitoring and catchment interventions that water companies must incorporate into their five-year business plans.
Work on the current WINEP should be complete between 2020-2025 and water companies have been allowed funding for this work as part of Ofwat’s 2019 final determination of prices. Amber schemes require final approval by the Secretary of State. This is due to happen as part of the update to the current river basin management plans in December 2021. The Covid-19 pandemic has led to some delays in the process, but the Environment Agency is striving to meet the existing deadline.