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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what measures are in place to enable those parts of the country with a surplus of water to redistribute it to those areas in need.

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 statutory Water Resources Management Plans (WRMPs). These plans set out how each company will continue to meet this duty and manage water supply and demand sustainably for at least the next 25 years.

Transferring water from areas of surplus, or from new water supply infrastructure, may contribute to a more optimal overall solution, delivering best value for society. Water company Water Resources Management Plans published in 2024/25, propose a number of larger inter-company transfers and many internal and external transfers. The Environment Agency has published a summary of the water company plans: A review of England’s revised draft regional and water resources management plans - GOV.UK.