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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 10 March (HL5599) stating that they have not yet taken a decision as to the timing of any review of the waste water National Policy Statement, when they will make that decision; and whether they expect to undertake such a review within the next five years.

The 2012 National Policy Statement (NPS) for Waste Water states that a review can be expected approximately every five years. A decision will be taken this year on whether a review of the NPS is necessary at this point in time, in line with the provisions of Section 6 of the Planning Act 2008. These provisions include consideration of whether there has been a significant change in circumstances on the basis of which the NPS was decided and whether this would have a material impact on the policy itself.