Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when his Department plans to respond to Thames Water's s35 application for its Teddington Direct River Abstraction proposal.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Thames Water have requested that the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs gives a direction under Section 35 of the Planning Act 2008 for the Teddington Direct River Abstraction. The Secretary of State will respond to Thames Water in line with the statutory timeframe required.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
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 impact of sewage discharges into the River Thames on the health of (a) dogs and (b) other pets.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is clear that the volume of sewage being discharged into our waters in unacceptable. That is why our Plan for Water sets out more investment, stronger regulation, and tougher enforcement to tackle pollution and clean up our water.
Alongside this, our Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan sets clear and specific targets for water companies, regulators and the Government, to work towards the long-term ambition of eliminating ecological harm from storm overflows.
No specific assessment has been undertaken on the impact of sewage discharges on dogs and pets.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
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 has taken to improve the (a) water quality and (b) biodiversity of (i) lakes, (ii) rivers and (iii) waterways (A) nationally and (B) in Romford constituency.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In April, we published our landmark Plan for Water, to deliver clean and plentiful water for people, businesses and nature. The Plan for Water set out a suite of policy actions to tackle every source of pollution and increase our resilience to drought. This is essential to provide habitats for biodiversity to thrive. The Plan is underpinned by three things:
(A) In Romford constituency
As a member of the Roding, Beam and Ingrebourne (RBI) Catchment Partnership, the Environment Agency is working with local partners to improve the water quality and biodiversity of waterbodies within Romford. Examples of current projects within Romford are:
Yellowfish and Junior River Wardens Project - The Environment Agency is working with Groundwork East to deliver a combined Yellowfish and Junior River Wardens project working with schools along the River Ingrebourne and River Rom. This unique new approach will help embed and sustain local learning, education and messaging around surface water and river health. Junior River Wardens helps participants experience the valuable role they can have monitoring water quality. Yellow Fish is shown to increase public awareness of issues affecting local rivers and the wider environment and how everyone can play a part.
Mink Eradication - The RBI Catchment Partnership is working collaboratively to deliver a catchment wide approach to Mink Eradication, building on the Mink Eradication project Essex Wildlife Trust have been running across Essex. Mink are a problematic invasive species in this location who pose a threat to water voles and other native species. Thames Chase Trust have applied for funding from the Environment Agency next financial year to further build on this catchment wide approach and deliver a project to trap Mink on the River Rom.
Additionally, as a statutory consultee in the planning process, the Environment Agency comments on development proposals that could potentially impact main rivers in Romford. They make sure that where possible developments comply with the Water Framework Directive as embedded within the river basin management plan. This ensures that they secure benefits for biodiversity and river geomorphology.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration was given to the River Severn transfer option during the selection process which, identifying "best value", opted for Thames Water's proposed Teddington direct river abstraction; and what role any public support for the River Severn transfer option and any social, environmental and economic benefits of restoring heritage waterways played in that consideration.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Water Resources South East (WRSE) regional group has developed a regional water resource resilience plan for the South East region of England. They have modelled around 2,400 options to meet water demand in the southeast. These comprised many different types of options, including a Severn Thames Transfer alongside reservoirs, transfers, water recycling schemes, as well as options for developing new and existing sources of water. These options were put through a rigorous options appraisal process to develop a preferred best value plan to serve people and the environment in the southeast.
Thames Water are part of WRSE and are responsible for developing their statutory Water Resource Management Plan (WRMP) for their supply area, to provide the secure water supplies expected by customers. Thames Water’s WRMP is aligned with the WRSE plan and therefore proposes supply options that are best value, taking into account social, environmental and economic benefits. Thames Water have consulted on their draft WRMP, considered consultation responses and produced a statement of response (as attached).
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what range of impact assessments they expect Thames Water to provide regarding the consequences for local wildlife habitats arising from construction of their proposed Teddington direct river abstraction on green spaces categorised as Metropolitan Open Land, such as Ham Lands and Moormead Park in St Margaret’s.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Thames Water is required to provide further assessments through the RAPID (Regulators Alliance for Progressing Infrastructure Development) gated planning process to ensure that all potential impacts of the Teddington direct river abstraction (DRA) scheme are assessed and investigated, including any impacts on green spaces. The design and location of elements of the scheme are still at the conceptual design stage of development. Any scheme developed will have to meet environmental and planning requirements. The suite of assessments required will depend on the final design of the scheme and nature/location of impacts which are expected to be identified through the Gate 3 planning process.
The proposed Teddington DRA is expected to take the Development Consent Order planning route, which will require an Environmental Impact Assessment of the scheme’s impacts as part of the planning process. Where possible we expect environmental enhancements to be included in the scheme design.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Environment Agency report that said Thames Water had so far failed to show that the proposed Teddington direct river abstraction was "feasible or environmentally acceptable", what further assessments of impacts on habitats, biodiversity net gain and health, as well as social impacts on local communities, Thames Water will be expected to produce.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The feasibility of Teddington is considered as part of Thames Water’s statutory Water Resource Management Plan (WRMP) development with specific guidelines for environmental assessment. WRMPs are also subject to Strategic Environmental Assessment. The feasibility and the environmental acceptability of Teddington is being investigated as part of the RAPID (Regulators Alliance for Progressing Infrastructure Development) gated process and with more detailed project level environmental and social impact assessment undertaken to support planning or Development Consent Order applications, notably Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulations requirements. EIA is also needed to support any applications for other regulatory consents. In all cases impacts on habitats, biodiversity net gain and health, as well as social impacts on local communities need to be considered and public consultation is required.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the selection of the Teddington direct river abstraction proposal, what investigations they expect Thames Water to undertake regarding per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in the water courses in England and Wales, with particular reference to treated effluent at Mogden Sewage Treatment Works, further to data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the USA concerning connections between women diagnosed with some hormonally driven cancers and exposure to certain PFASs in household and industrial products.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
For Teddington direct river abstraction proposal to be taken forward Thames Water will be required to obtain an abstraction licence and permit to discharge from the Environment Agency. These set out the conditions under which abstraction is authorised to take place and the standards to which the discharged effluent must be treated, ensuring it is treated to a high standard to meet environmental and human health quality standards. The Environment Agency regulates discharge permits by assessing the quality of the effluent discharged against set compliance limits. Thames Water will need to undertake any investigations necessary to meet those regulatory requirements.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps the Environment Agency and Ofwat will take following the Teddington direct river abstraction proposal to ensure that Thames Water meets its obligations, given its Strategic Environmental Assessment directive and failure to present an environmental report or to allow the public an opportunity effectively to express their opinion about it.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Proposals for Teddington direct river abstraction need to follow the statutory Water Resource Management Plan (WRMP) process, which includes the requirement for a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). Thames Water published its draft WRMP in December 2022 with a 12-week public consultation period. Thames Water received 80 representations specific to Teddington from stakeholders and the public. The company has recently published a statement of response outlining how it plans to address the points raised.
The feasibility of Teddington is also being investigated in more detail as part of a London Reuse strategic resource option (SRO). The investigation into the feasibility of this SRO along with another 17 across the country is managed by RAPID (Regulators Alliance for Progressing Infrastructure Development) which is a partnership that is made up of the three water regulators Ofwat, Environment Agency and Drinking Water Inspectorate. The investigation process is split into ‘gates’ and at each gate the SRO is required to publish evidence based Environmental Assessment Reports. London Reuse published its Gate 2 reports in winter 22/23 allowing a 6-week window for public consultation.
Asked by: Lord Lee of Trafford (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what information they have on which different species of fish inhabit the tidal reaches of the River Thames, particularly in the Richmond and Teddington sections.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Environment Agency (EA) is responsible for managing freshwater fisheries in England and carries out biannual fish surveys at eight locations on the tidal Thames, between Gravesend and Richmond.
From 2010-2022, the EA recorded 19 fish species at Richmond. These were: bleak; brown trout; bullhead; chub; common bream; common carp; dace; European eel; flounder; common goby; gudgeon; minnow; perch; roach; rudd; sand smelt; sea bass; smelt; and three-spined stickleback.
Teddington has not been surveyed recently but between 1989 and 1993 11 species were caught at Teddington. These were: bleak; common bream; common goby; dace; European eel; flounder; gudgeon; perch; roach; sea bass; and three-spined stickleback.
Asked by: Dominic Raab (Conservative - Esher and Walton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much from the public purse the Environment Agency has spent on enforcement against illegal river moorings in Elmbridge Borough in each of the last five years.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency cannot quantify our cost of enforcement of illegal moorings in Elmbridge as the work is river wide. In 2022 the Environment Agency carried out a project to remove wrecks and abandoned boats, but not limited to the River Thames in Elmbridge, at a cost of £280K for the removal and disposal of 41 wrecks. Each and every vessel, if removed from the River Thames will have its own cost for removal.