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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of investing fines given to water companies in improving waterways.

On Wednesday 30^th November we announced we will be channelling money from water company fines into schemes to improve the environment. The announcement is available on gov.uk at the webpage here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/water-company-fines-to-be-channelled-into-environmental-improvements

Under our new plans, money from fines handed out to water companies that pollute our rivers and seas will be re-invested in schemes that benefit our natural environment.

Since 2015, the Environment Agency has concluded 56 prosecutions against water and sewerage companies securing fines of over £141 million.