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Emma Hardy
LAB✓ Current MP
🏛️ Kingston upon Hull West and Haltemprice
📅 2017–2026
848 speeches on Hansard record
✅ Votes attended: 77.97% (#435 of 650 MPs)
🟢 Rebelled against party: 0.28%
📝 Topics: Surgical Mesh Implants, Coronavirus: Vaccination, NHS: Drugs
🤝 Member of 1 All-Party Parliamentary Groups
Written Answers
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Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The South Manchester Strategy sets out the EA’s long‑term approach to managing flood risk along the River Mersey, with a focus on maintaining and upgrading key defences. While the project area extends into Stockport, most assets being reviewed are located further downstream. Recent…
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A record £104 billion of private sector investment has been secured to accelerate the cleaning up of our rivers, lakes and seas. This includes over £10 billion to improve about 2,500 storm overflows in England over the next five years. The Environment Agency has appointed new dedicated…
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I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 24 March 2026 to PQ UIN 120291.
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The table below shows the number of solicitors employed by the Environment Agency in the Area facing legal services teams in 2020 and 2026, and the number of vacant lawyer posts that were being held during these years. The Environment Agency does not hold data for 2008, and it has insufficient data…
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This information is publicly available and can be viewed using the PR24 WINEP interactive map. The Environment Agency (EA) launched this map last year. It shows for the first time where investment is being made to improve the water environment. The map includes the majority of WINEP data provided…
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Protecting communities around the country from flooding is a priority for this Government. That is why we set up a Flood Resilience Taskforce to provide oversight of national and local flood resilience and preparedness ahead of and after the winter flood season. Protecting communities from floods…
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Across all our reforms the goal is to deliver our key outcomes - environment, customers, investability - in the most effective and efficient way possible to ensure lasting value.
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Through the Water Industry National Environment Programme, the Environment Agency (EA) is driving improvements at sewage treatment works including in the Loddon catchment. These include upgrades to deliver against the Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan and other investigations and improvement…
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Over £10 billion will be invested to improve about 2,500 storm overflows in England by 2030, with upgrades prioritised at high priority sites including chalk streams. In 2024 and 2025, the Environment Agency carried out compliance inspections at three of the four Wessex Water sites in the…
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In 2019, the River Wriggle was assessed as having poor ecological health due to high levels of phosphate. In the River Wriggle, phosphate mainly comes from agricultural sources, but sewage discharges also contain phosphate from everyday chemicals such as washing detergents. In 2025, additional…
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Defra and DESNZ worked together closely on the proposal set out in the HFC phasedown consultation and continue to do so. This is why the proposal reflects plans for the rollout of heat pumps. Responses to the consultation are still being considered. The consultation asked respondents questions…
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A wide range of stakeholders were consulted on reforms through the Independent Water Commission’s Call for Evidence, which received over 50,000 responses. Whilst there was not a formal working group for the White Paper, ahead of publication we engaged with stakeholders across the water…
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The Environment Agency has carried out a number of initiatives involving citizen scientists. For bathing waters it has recently rolled out the ‘Hello lamppost’ initiative where people can scan QR codes at specific bathing waters to provide it with information on the number of bathers at…
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The Government introduced the Water Special Measures Act (2025), requiring real-time monitoring at every emergency overflow so the public can see what is happening locally, including in many bathing waters.100% of storm overflows have been fitted with event duration monitors (EDMs) since the end of…
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The Chief Scientist of the Environment Agency presented at the ‘Safe to Swim Forum’ meeting at the Centre for Resilience in Environment, Water and Waste in September 2025 on the Environment Agency’s science relating to bathing waters. Existing practices for monitoring and…
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The Chief Scientist of the Environment Agency was present at the Centre for Resilience in Environment, Water and Waste (CREWW) ‘Safe to Swim Forum’ in September 2025, where the Director of Operations for Devon and Torbay combined County Authority presented on the economic and social…
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The Environment Agency has an ongoing statutory duty to monitor the water quality at designated bathing water sites in England in line with the Bathing Water Regulations 2013. I would encourage any local authority that is interested in developing a local framework to share their plans with Defra…
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The decision to restrict the use of Lead in Ammunition under UK REACH was made following a consideration of the risk, the availability of alternatives and the socio-economic impacts. The UK REACH Restriction on lead in ammunition does not include the use of lead ammunition by the military, police,…
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The Government is committed to improving the quality of our coastal waters, rivers and lakes for the benefit of the environment and everyone who uses it. The Environment Agency’s practice for monitoring water quality at bathing water sites reflects the European Commission’s Bathing…
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The Environment Agency is aware of persistent odour reports in Calne and continues to treat the issue as a priority. Officers from the Environment Agency’s Wessex Area team have been deployed daily since last Thursday to investigate the source and assess any environmental impacts. They are…
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We are working closely with Ofwat, who is evaluating the consortium’s proposals for Thames Water, to ensure that the best interests of customers and the environment are protected.
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Customers who have unresolved disputes are advised to contact The Consumer Council for Water (CCW) who has the statutory function to help customers resolve complaints against their water company or retailer, as well as providing free advice and support. Government has also committed to introduce a…
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There have been 31 enforcement undertakings accepted by the Environment Agency from water companies between 26 July 2024 and 12 February 2026 as detailed below. Of these, 20 have been closed. 5 have a prosecution recommendation by an Investigating Officer. The Environment Agency is unable to…
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There have been 31 enforcement undertakings accepted by the Environment Agency from water companies between 26 July 2024 and 12 February 2026 as detailed below. Decisions regarding prosecution are made in line with the Environment Agency enforcement and sanctions policy - GOV.UK. The Enforcement…
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The EA already operates a robust, risk-based system to respond to pollution incidents. The increase in inspections, including unannounced inspections, will allow the EA to conduct more in-depth and independent audits to get to the root-cause of incidents, reducing the reliance on operator…
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As set out in the Water White Paper, we will create a powerful new regulator, bringing together the relevant functions from the existing regulators (of Ofwat, the Drinking Water Inspectorate, the Environment Agency and Natural England) into one new body. The new regulator will be able to deliver…
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We are reviewing our approach to the Adaptation Reporting Power ahead of the fifth round of reporting, due 2026–2029. This work includes a synthesis of past rounds and other relevant reporting regimes, and an evaluation of the costs and benefits of the previous round. Taking these outputs…
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The Government will always act in the national interest. While the company is stable, we stand ready for all eventualities – including being ready to apply for a Special Administration Regime if necessary. In the event of a Special Administration Regime, the Special Administrator must ensure…
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The Government set out its new vision for water through a White Paper published on 20 January 2026. To truly turn around the water sector we need the right people in to do the job. We want the sector to be attractive to high quality senior leaders, acting in the public interest, who can lead change…
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Regulatory Capital Value was originally set with reference to the equity value and debt levels of each water and sewerage company at privatisation. It has been updated by the Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat) since and provides a proxy for the total value of the water industry’s…
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The Government is committed to tackling the root causes of sewage pollution. As part of this, we will ensure that legislation, the regulatory framework and funding support ‘pre-pipe’ solutions, aimed at reducing the volume of rainwater and pollutants entering the sewerage system. This…
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The Environment Agency (EA) and Ofwat have robust safeguards in place to prevent conflicts of interest between regulators and the water and sewerage companies they oversee. All EA employees, contractors and temporary workers must submit an annual declaration of interests, including a nil return…
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To deliver on the Government’s Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan, we are expecting £60 billion of investment to be delivered across England by 2050. Water companies are investing over £11 billion in PR24, a record amount, to improve nearly 3,000 storm overflows across England…
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A record £104 billion of private sector investment has been secured to accelerate the cleaning up of our rivers, lakes and seas. This includes over £10 billion to improve nearly 2,500 storm overflows in England over the next five years. We will move to a system where assets are properly…
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Defra is working closely with the existing regulators, including Ofwat, the Environment Agency and the Drinking Water Inspectorate, to strengthen coordination across the regulatory system. This includes supporting the regulators in their work to actively join up and improve coordination,…
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Water companies are required to submit data to the Environment Agency (EA) showing the duration of discharges. The EA uses this information to target its regulatory work and to drive improvements to assets and parts of the sewerage networks where they are most critical. Water companies have not…
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We are aware of concerns about the potential impact of the UK-EU SPS Agreement under negotiation on the availability of certain pesticides, including those containing the four active substances Bixlozone, (b) Cinmethylin, (c) Isoflucypram and (d) Pydiflumetofen which are currently approved in GB…
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The Environment Agency (EA) has previously confirmed £50,000 of additional investment for Long Melford and Glemsford in December 2025, which was provided through other environmental funding. That £50,000 has now been fully spent. The EA works to enhance upstream floodplains and improve…
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Ofwat’s guidance on water resale by third parties, such as park home site owners, sets out the maximum price a reseller can charge and the various methods they can use to calculate those charges. If a park home site owner breaches any of the requirements under the Water Resale Order, a…
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The Adaptation Reporting Power (ARP), introduced as part of the Climate Change Act 2008, gives the Government the power to direct certain infrastructure operators and some public bodies to produce reports on how they are addressing their current and future climate risks. Participation in ARP has…
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The Government recognises the benefits of water reuse, specifically greywater and rainwater recycling play a key role in ensuring our homes and businesses can be water efficient. This was set out in the Water White Paper, which committed to facilitating the adoption of reused water and review the…
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Sewage spills can enter water bodies from a number of sources and pathways. One mechanism is via storm overflows, designed to spill into water bodies when the sewer system is under strain from rainfall or snowmelt. Storm overflows are tracked through Event Duration Monitors in near real time.
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The Government committed to reforming the WaterSure affordability scheme and published its response to the public consultation on 6 March 2026. Proposed changes will expand eligibility to include disability benefits – meaning a further 53,000 low-income households will see…
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The Environment Agency has provided the following figures for inspections of wastewater treatment works and storm overflows in each of the last five financial years. Financial YearTotals2021-226392022-238782023-2414422024-2546722025-2610150 * 2025/26 data is year to date (as of 18 March). March…
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We will not let companies get away with illegal activity and where breaches are found, the Environment Agency (EA) will not hesitate to hold companies to account. The Water (Special Measures) Act has provided the most significant increase in enforcement powers to the regulators in a decade, giving…
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There are several different ownership models in the companies providing water in the United Kingdom.Where a company requests to transition to a new ownership model, we have committed in the White Paper that the regulator will develop a transparent process to assess whether the change should go…
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Defra officials are closely engaging with the Environment Agency (EA) about the regulation of novel low-carbon ammonia technologies. EA colleagues are reviewing areas where further work is required to support permitting of these technologies and have been engaging with UK environmental regulators,…
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In 2025, the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH) published an independent review of the suitability of the Water Framework Directive ecological classification framework for measuring and assessing the health of the water environment. Among its suggestions was to employ a ‘surface…
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Appropriate programme level reporting of spend and forecasts are provided regularly to the Government Major Projects Portfolio in line with agreed reporting requirements.
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Navigation authorities are responsible for managing operations on their waterways and the Government does not direct that. Boaters are expected to comply with the terms of their licences for the benefit of all waterway users, including any restrictions on mooring. In instances of…
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The Department for Transport provides all capital funding and a small amount of resource funding.
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We are not aware of an increase or change in riparian ownership within West Dorset. The riparian rights and responsibilities, including duties to maintain watercourses, will remain unchanged even if there is a change in landownership. The recent flooding was caused by meteorological and…
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Defra provides a wide range of support to rural communities affected by flooding. Typically, in response to flooding there will be a multi-partner strategic command, at which the Environment Agency (EA) and Dorset Council play a lead coordination role. The Department also funds long term resilience…
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The Environment Agency (EA) has planned engagement events with professional partners across Dorset for Spring/Summer 2026 to promote individual and community resilience. The EA works closely with Dorset Council, parish councils and flood wardens to raise awareness, share guidance and strengthen…
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The recent flooding in West Dorset was caused by a combination of exceptionally high rainfall totals, leading to saturated ground conditions. January was the second-wettest winter on record since 1871. Groundwater levels across the county rose significantly, leading to flooding of low-lying land,…
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The reality is it would take years to unpick the current ownership model, it would be extremely complex, and we would be in the courts for years. Billions of pounds of private investment going in to fixing broken pipes would be slashed in the meantime. Nationalisation would a black hole in the…
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Defra is working across Government to reset the climate adaptation framework and safeguard people, livelihoods, and the natural environment. Defra is setting stronger objectives and improving governance and monitoring, to help the Government turn evidence into action. The Department of Health and…
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The £6 million figure covers the pollution cleanup, compensation for verified claims, collaboration with the relevant authorities to develop and implement a remediation plan, and funding for local environmental improvement projects in the Poole Harbour area. It does not include lost income…
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As part of the England Marine Protected Area (MPA) network review we are considering designations and MPA protection for seabirds. The review is mapping hotspots of seabird activity in English seas to understand how these relate to current Special Protection Areas (SPAs). This work will help to…
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Offshore wind developers must show how they will avoid and mitigate impacts on protected seabirds, and provide compensatory measures where impacts remain. Within this context, the government is delivering the Offshore Wind Environmental Improvement Package to de-risk and accelerate offshore wind…
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Data for 2025 is not yet available. We expect this to be published by April 2026.
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Defra is working across Government to reset the climate adaptation framework and safeguard people, livelihoods, and our natural environment. Defra is setting stronger objectives and improving governance and monitoring, to help Government turn evidence into action. The Department of Health and…
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Owners of industrial, trade and business premises are expected to use the best practicable means available to reduce odours, effluvia and other potential sources of statutory nuisance emanating from their place of work in the first place. If this is not happening, then Local Authorities have powers…
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The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) concluded its investigation in December 2025 and is taking no further action due to the significant progress that has been made by Defra, Ofwat and the Environment Agency (EA). This progress includes: Defra replacing outdated guidance with a new policy…
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The UK works internationally to manage the export and safe use of pesticides. The UK is party to the Rotterdam Convention, a multilateral treaty that promotes shared responsibilities and information sharing in relation to the international trade of hazardous chemicals. We strongly support…
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On March 17th, Minister Hardy announced that this Government is investing £1.4 billion into flood risk management in England in 2026/27. Flood defence investment allocations for schemes benefitting are published on gov.uk here: Programme of flood and coastal erosion risk management (FCERM)…
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The Government has set out its ambition to create a powerful new water regulator, bringing together the relevant functions from the existing regulators (Ofwat, the Drinking Water Inspectorate, Environment Agency and Natural England) into one new body. This will replace the current fragmented system…
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We want to move away from Operator Self‑Monitoring because the current system does not provide the transparency or independent assurance the public expects. As set out in the Water White Paper, we are working with regulators on how best to transition to an open, independently verified…
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Pre-pipe drainage and wastewater solutions, such as sustainable drainage systems (SuDS), alleviate pressure on the sewerage system by reducing the volume of rainwater and pollutants entering the system. This approach has benefits for communities, the environment, flood prevention and urban…
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Defra is working together with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to ensure the right to connect for water supply and to the sewerage system supports the Government’s housing delivery objectives and enables sustainable development. The Government is committed to taking…
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Water companies are under a statutory duty to provide new water and sewerage connections to residential properties, as well as planning to meet the needs of growth as part of statutory Water Resources Management Plans, and Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans (DWMPs). The decision on whether to…
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The Environment Agency (EA) works to ensure all sectors, including the water industry, are fulfilling their legal responsibilities to the environment. Where breaches and illegal activity are found, they will not hesitate to hold companies to account. The Water (Special Measures) Act has provided…
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The Government has recently consulted on a new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) that includes clearer, ‘rules based’ policies for decision-making and plan-making. The consultation included policies that will support the development and operation of energy and water…
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The Environment Agency (EA) delivers PFR Schemes as part of the flood investment programme. Between April 2021 and March 31 2025, over £9m has been invested in Property Flood Resilience measures, delivering 1245 properties better protected.* *Figures are provided in the table below YearPFR…
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The FloodReady report, published in October 2025, sets out recommendations to support the wider uptake of property flood resilience (PFR) measures across the public, private and third sectors. The Government and the Environment Agency (EA) are supporting the delivery of the FloodReady…
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The revised Environmental Improvement Plan, published 1 December 2025, includes a commitment to reform UK REACH, to enable protections that address chemical pollution to be applied more quickly, efficiently and in a way that is more aligned with our closest trading partners, especially the EU, by…
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The Environment Agency regularly assess the impact of storm overflows on the environment, including those discharging into the South Winterborne at Martinstown. Water companies are installing continuous water quality monitors to quantify the impacts of sewerage undertaker assets, including storm…
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The Environment Agency (EA) received 635 reports of sewage pollution in Essex and 330 reports for the River Thames originating from water companies and private sewage treatment facilities in the last five years. The EA has strengthened its regulation of the water industry by recruiting additional…
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The following water companies have permitted discharges of treated final effluent into the River Thames:Thames Water Utilities Ltd into the River Thames – 19Southern Water Services – 2Anglian Water Services – 4Albion Water – 1 35 of the most polluting Combined Sewer…
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For too long, water companies paid out billions in dividends while pumping sewage into our rivers. This Government is ending that. The Water White Paper creates a single regulator, prevention-focused enforcement, and tougher laws: banning bonuses for failure and ensuring water works for customers,…
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This month, the Government announced the biggest reform of WaterSure in nearly 30 years, reducing bills for around 300,000 low‑income households. Eligibility will expand to those on disability benefits, with fairer bill caps and simpler applications. Most existing users will save more, with…
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The UK Pesticides National Action Plan, published last year, sets out actions we will take to increase awareness and knowledge of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies across all sectors. Last year I chaired a roundtable on pest and weed management in urban settings to hear directly from…
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To designate a site as a bathing water, an application must be submitted to Defra. Applications for new bathing sites are driven by the public and put forward for consultation if certain criteria are met, which can be found online at gov.uk. We are currently consulting on proposals to designate 13…
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The Environment Act 2021 requires all water companies, including Severn Trent, to publish near real time Event Duration Monitoring (EDM) data for all storm overflows. EDM installation follows specifications set out in the CIWEM (Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management) Event…
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The Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme will better protect all properties currently at risk of flooding from the River Thames in Oxford. It will also reduce flood risk to the railway, local roads, utilities and services such as broadband which will help to keep Oxford open for business and…
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This Government welcomes the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP)'s investigation, and we responded to their Information Notice on 6 March. We continue to work collaboratively with them to improve our waterways. The Government accepts the OEP’s conclusion that not enough progress has…
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In January 2026, I hosted a cross-sector roundtable, which included water industry representatives, to discuss planned reforms to agricultural pollution regulations. Engagement continues with industry, farming and environmental representatives at official level. Regional planning will take a…
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The UK REACH Restriction on lead in ammunition is based on extensive scientific evidence and analysis by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Environment Agency. In developing their proposal, the HSE assessed the risks posed by lead ammunition – including bullets – to the…
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The UK REACH Restriction on lead in ammunition does not cover the use, including storage, of lead ammunition by the military, police, Government security services, private maritime security companies and for border force purposes.
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I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Ely and East Cambridgeshire on 13 November 2025, PQ 88509.
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The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) is taking a range of actions to address the levels of fipronil and imidacloprid being detected in UK waterways. Through its leadership of the cross‑Government Pharmaceuticals in the Environment Group, the VMD has published a roadmap focusing on…
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The Environment Agency has invested over £735,000 in the past two years on routine vegetation clearance and channel maintenance across the Aldingbourne Rife and connected watercourses. Each May the Environment Agency inspects the channel, followed by machine and hand‑cutting works…
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Water companies must ensure that their infrastructure has sufficient capacity to manage demand. Water companies are investing over £11bn in PR24, a record amount, to improve nearly 3,000 storm overflows across England and Wales over the next five years. For England, this equates to over…
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While the Marine Management Organisation can record data on gear type in MPAs as it did for the 41 English offshore marine protected areas consulted on in summer 2025, this takes significant time to compile and quality‑check.
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External Appointment Departure rules are in place to assess and manage this leaver risk. Employees must notify the Environment Agency (EA) of planned moves, enabling actual or perceived conflicts to be assessed and managed. During notice periods, the EA removes decision‑making powers and…
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Officials from Defra maintain regular engagement with the Greater London Authority on all aspects of improving air quality.
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The Government is consulting on measures to reduce emissions from domestic combustion such as strengthened emission standards for new stoves, improved product labelling, and enhanced enforcement arrangements. Any future decisions will be based on the full range of evidence and consultation…
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Over the last 5 years, the Environment Agency has inspected all the flood risk assets it operates and maintains across the Bognor Regis and Littlehampton area. Each year the Environment Agency delivers an asset reconditioning programme whereby assets rated poor or worse are prioritised for repair…
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Lead Local Flood Authorities (LLFAs) are the lead authority for managing surface water flooding. LLFAs are statutory consultees on major development, providing expert advice to local planning authorities. The Environment Agency (EA) has a strategic overview for all sources of flooding. In December…
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Defra has examined the statutory powers and responsibilities for mapping, monitoring, inspecting and maintaining all flood and coastal erosion risk assets, including those owned by third parties. This review which also considered enforcement powers, including under the Water Resources Act 1991,…
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The Government is committed to ensuring that noise is managed effectively to promote good health and minimise disruption to people’s quality of life. Councils are independent bodies accountable to their electorate rather than to Ministers or Government Departments and are responsible for…
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There are several different ownership models in the companies providing water in the United Kingdom. Where a company requests to transition to a new ownership model, we have committed in the White Paper that the regulator will develop a transparent process. This process will assess whether the…
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The Government has set out its ambition to create a powerful new water regulator, bringing together the relevant functions from the existing regulators (Ofwat, the Drinking Water Inspectorate, Environment Agency and Natural England) into one new body. This will replace the current fragmented system…
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The Department for Transport (DfT) spend on the NO2 Programme up to the end of financial year 2024/25 was £450m.
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The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), to which the UK is party, requires that waste containing POPs above certain thresholds be destroyed, rather than landfilled. Research by the Environment Agency (EA) in 2021 revealed that waste upholstered domestic seating contains…
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All companies plan to trial new charging structures by 2030 and some of them plan to introduce them more widely for additional customers if the trials are successful. It is important that water companies challenge themselves to develop progressive and proactive behaviours which will benefit…
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The Government is committed to tackling the root causes of sewage pollution into our rivers, lakes and seas. We will enable a step change to allow for more ‘pre-pipe’ solutions to reduce the volume of rainwater and pollutants entering the sewerage system. This includes…
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On 14 October 2025, following consultation, the Government announced major changes to its flood and coastal erosion funding policy. Further information can be found here.
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This Government is committed to protecting the most vulnerable and as such, is reforming the WaterSure support scheme. The regulations that provide for the scheme were made in 1999: The Water Industry (Charges) (Vulnerable Groups) Regulations 1999. We will extend eligibility to more households…
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A wide range of stakeholders were consulted on reforms through the Independent Water Commission’s Call for Evidence, which received over 50,000 responses. Whilst there was not a formal working group for the White Paper, ahead of publication we engaged with stakeholders across the water…
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On 14 October, following consultation, the Government announced major changes to its flood and coastal erosion funding policy. The new rules will optimise funding between building new flood projects and maintaining existing defences and ensure that deprived communities continue to receive vital…
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Payment of fines is ultimately a matter for the regulator.
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Across all our reforms the goal is to deliver our key outcomes – environment, customers, investability – in the most effective and efficient way possible to ensure lasting value.
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On 5 November 2025, Ofwat published its 2024-25 Performance related executive pay (PRP) assessment, which confirmed more than £4 million of unfair bonuses were blocked for 2024-25. The PRP assessment highlighted a lack of transparency around executive pay in the water sector. To address this,…
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The Government is improving public access to information on sewage discharges. Since Event Duration Monitoring (EDM) was introduced in 2015, water companies have progressively installed monitors on storm overflows. Coverage increased over time and reached 100% of storm overflows in England by the…
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The Water (Special Measures) Act 2025 makes it a statutory requirement for all water companies to produce annual Pollution Incident Reduction Plans showing how they will meet our expectation of reducing pollution incidents by 40%. Between 2025 and 2030, a historic amount, over £10 billion, is…
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In 2024, Severn Trent Water Limited reported 414 sewage spills through storm overflows from their permitted assets (sewage treatment works and combined sewer overflows) in the Sherwood Forest constituency.
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At PR24 final determination, Anglian Water was allocated £167m to support smart metering, leakage reduction, and other water efficiency activities across the 2025-2030 period. Companies may choose where to spend allocated money within their regions, such as by targeting specific locations or…
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Government is working with industry to keep support schemes under review to ensure that vulnerable customers are supported. In total the sector has committed to contribute £449 million to social tariffs, debt matching, and other support schemes over 2025-30. Water Companies set the amount that…
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Ofwat expects trials to follow its good practice principles, including strong customer engagement and safeguards. Companies must also consult with the Consumer Council for Water in developing their trials to ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place so that vulnerable consumers are protected…
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In their PR24 business plans, water companies are required to explain how affordability support (including social tariffs) is funded. Companies must consult with their customers and organisations representing customers, to understand what an acceptable cross-subsidy is, and the eligibility for…
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The Government is considering a range of incentives to encourage homes to adopt water efficiency. This includes enabling innovative tariff options through a rollout of 10.4 million smart meters in the next five years. This will also provide customers with improved data and communications on how…
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Customers can contact Ofwat by phone, post, email and via the website. Ofwat’s Customer Enquiries and Disputes (CED) team has worked hard over the past year to improve the timeliness of responses to customers which was impacted by increased contacts to Ofwat last year.
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We ensure the water retail market is operating effectively and acting as a vehicle to support economic growth and reduce burdens for businesses.
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Businesses, charities and public sector organisations are free to choose their water retailer for water or sewerage services. Advice for customers on choosing their retailer can be found on Ofwat’s website.
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The water retail market enables businesses, charities and public sector organisations in England to choose their retailer. This market can help to deliver lower bills and lead to improved services. If customers are not satisfied with the service they receive, they are free to switch to…
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Decisions on sewer provision sit with South West Water, but if the community believes a mains connection is needed, a Section 101A application can be submitted for assessment. The EA can support residents with guidance on compliance with the General Binding Rules, their Environmental Permit and…
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The Transition Plan is part of our plan to reform the sector and will be published in due course. It will describe the transitional arrangements to enable the stable, successful delivery of reforms, and will be accompanied by a new Strategic Policy Statement for Ofwat and a Ministerial Direction…
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The Government is considering a range of reforms, to fix our broken water system. Delivering better outcomes and a more sustainable approach to drainage and wastewater management is a key consideration. Extended Producer Responsibility can be an effective means of raising the funds to tackle…
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Market Operator Services Ltd (MOSL) is the not-for-profit operator of the non-household (business) retail water market. MOSL is funded through market operator charges levied on retailers and wholesalers, rather than through customer bills or capital investment allowances. MOSL costs have no bearing…
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The Environment Agency (EA) is clear that delays to any water company schemes, required under the Water Industry National Environment Programme are unacceptable as they will delay environmental improvement and risk failure of statutory requirements. The EA is issuing new environmental permits in…
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The Environment Agency has brought a total of 611 prosecutions against water companies for offences since 2000.
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The Environment Act 2021 requires all water companies, including Thames Water, to publish near real time Event Duration Monitoring (EDM) data for all storm overflows. EDM installation follows specifications set out in the CIWEM (Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management) Event…
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The Environment Agency (EA) has undertaken inspections of Thames Water sewage treatment works at East Shefford, Winterbourne, Hamstead Marshall and Hungerford. It has also assessed Event Duration Monitoring data from these sites and completed Event Duration Monitoring flow data assessments.…
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The Secretary of State meets with water companies to discuss a range of issues, including the need to reduce sewage discharges into our rivers, lakes and seas. The Environment Agency (EA) has had regular engagement with Thames Water on the issue of early and dry discharges. In the Rivers Kennet,…
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The Environment Agency (EA) has led the Water Industry National Environment Programme, which sets out a wide range of improvement schemes that Thames Water must deliver, including investigations and actions to reduce discharges from storm overflows, with priority given to sensitive sites such as…
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The Environment Agency has published data on the number of water company wastewater pollution incidents by source, including from sewage treatment works, over the last five years. Water and Sewerage Pollution Incident Report for 2016-2024.
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Environmental quality standards (EQS) are fundamental to the effective assessment and regulation of chemical impacts. This commitment has already been made in the roadmap produced by the Cross Governmental Pharmaceuticals in the Environment group. The Government has set out its new vision for water…
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In March 2025 the Government published its response to a consultation on amending the Bathing Water 2013 Regulations. In this, the Government noted the support for expanding the definition of a bather to include other recreational water users. Work has begun on an evidence review to consider the…
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Through an upcoming Water Bill, we intend to progress an ambitious, coherent reset of the legislative framework. As we take this forward, we will work in partnership with the Department of Health and Social Care to ensure public health is considered broadly in our new water frameworks and…
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The Water Reform Transition Plan charts a clear path to the water system of the future, as set out in the recent water white paper. The transition plan will be accompanied by a new Strategic Policy Statement for Ofwat and ministerial direction for EA. These documents will set out what will change…
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In the recent Water White Paper, the Government committed to strengthening regional water planning to enable a more holistic, coordinated approach to water environment and supply planning. A fundamental part of this is supporting catchment partnerships across England, which are civil society-led…
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The Department is taking forward a number of steps to mitigate water demand from new housing developments in water stressed regions. Policy options on amendments to Water Efficiency Standards in Building Regulations have been tested through a public consultation which ran from September to December…
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Defra works closely with Waterwise, an independent not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation who are spearheading the Water Literacy Training Pilot, which aims to equip professionals with the knowledge and tools to play their part in tackling water scarcity and its environmental impact in the…
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The Government’s Water White Paper committed to strengthening regional water planning to enable a more holistic, coordinated approach to water environment and supply planning. Enhanced regional planning will support delivery of national and local priorities and unlock better collaboration…
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A stable and effective regulatory framework is crucial in attracting sustained investment to the sector. The Government supports Ofwat imposing tougher rules on water company dividends and bonuses, so that consumer bills never reward pollution. Ofwat want to see…
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Chalk streams are incredible source of national pride. As one of Britain’s most nature-rich habitats, they support some of our rarest wildlife. Water companies will invest £2 billion over the next 5 years to deliver more than 1,000 targeted actions for chalk stream restoration through…
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The Government keeps the Environment Agency’s (EA) powers to address sewage discharges under regular review. We introduced the Water (Special Measures) Act to increase accountability, strengthen sanctions, and make pollution coverups a criminal offence. Our 'New Vision for Water' White Paper,…
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The Environment Agency’s (EA) decision to introduce charge-funded regulation is enabled by the Water (Special Measures) Act, which allows the EA to recover the full costs of a broader range of enforcement activities from water companies. This approach is grounded in the polluter-pays…
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The Floods Resilience Taskforce brings together representatives from national, regional and local government, devolved Governments and the emergency services including the National Fire Chiefs Council and the Fire Brigades Union who are standing members. Local Resilience Forums are also…
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The Government has committed to ending ‘operator self-monitoring’ so water companies will no longer mark their own homework on pollution incidents. We are developing a new strengthened Open Monitoring approach for monitoring wastewater. This will be driven by greater digitisation and…
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Lead Local Flood Authorities are required, under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, to develop and maintain a strategy for managing local flood risk. They also have a duty to collaborate with other flood risk management authorities and to keep a register of flood risk management assets.…
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I thank the Honourable Member for Twickenham for writing and apologise for the delay in response. I have followed this up with the department will and respond shortly.
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We work closely with FTI Consulting in their role as the Government’s advisor on Special Administration Regime contingency planning and continue to monitor the situation.
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Defra is the lead department for domestic climate adaptation and works across Government, including with the Cabinet Office, in delivering this function. Defra is responsible for coordinating requirements set out in the UK Climate Change Act 2008. This includes preparing a UK Climate Change Risk…
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The UK strongly opposes the hunting of all cetaceans other than some limited activities by indigenous people for clearly defined subsistence needs. Cessation of the grindadrap, or “The Grind” would be a positive step in improving the conservation and resilience of these cetacean…
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In our response to the consultation on amending the Bathing Water 2013 Regulations at the end of 2024, the Government noted the support for expanding the definition of a bather to include other recreational water users. Work has begun on an evidence review to consider the environmental and public…
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Consideration of the inland waterways sector is included in the Department for Transport’s Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy (page 29) and accompanying Analytical Annex (page 12), published in 2025.
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Navigation authorities are not housing authorities. Defra will consider the matters raised in the Association of Inland Navigation Authorities position paper about the residential use of inland waterways, and will engage with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on the…
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If changes are made to regulations including pesticides we aim to do so transparently, for example through consultation, with those impacted including the farming sector. When a decision is made about an active substance or plant protection product by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) this is…
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A pesticide may only be placed on the market in Great Britain (GB) if the product has been authorised by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), GB’s pesticide regulator. This only happens following a thorough scientific risk assessment that concludes all safety standards are met. The GB…
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Under the Security and Emergency Measures Direction (SEMD), water companies are required to maintain a supply of water during emergencies, including short‑duration power outages. The SEMD obliges companies to assess risks and implement appropriate measures, and Defra works with them to…
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This Government has doubled compensation payments and introduced a range of new standards to the Guaranteed Standards Scheme (GSS) which requires companies to automatically make a payment to all affected customers if it fails to meet the standards set out in the scheme. An unplanned water supply…
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Under the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, the Conference of the Parties can establish area-based management tools (ABMTs), including marine protected areas, in areas beyond national jurisdiction. Once we have ratified the Agreement, as a Party the UK will be able to…
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I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Ely and East Cambridgeshire on 13 November 2025, PQ 88509.
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The Environment Agency (EA) designed and constructed the North Maidenhead Bund, as part of the Maidenhead Windsor and Eton Flood Alleviation Scheme, to reduce the risk of flooding to communities in Cookham, Maidenhead, Windsor and Eton. No construction errors have been identified by the EA. Weir…
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We recognise the potential impacts and threats presented from leachates entering into the environment, such as Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and the risks of these associated with abandoned landfill sites. Government is assessing options on…
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A review of the Bathing Waters Regulations (2013) was undertaken in 2024-25. Following a consultation on potential reforms to the regulations from November-December 2024, the Bathing Water (Amendment) (England and Wales) Regulations 2025 came into force on 21 November 2025. Defra will continue to…
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In our response to the consultation on amending the Bathing Water 2013 Regulations at the end of 2024, the Government noted the support for expanding the definition of a bather to include other recreational water users. Work has begun on an evidence review to consider the environmental and public…
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The Environment Agency (EA) assessed the Stanlow refinery BAT 52 derogation against known pollutants such as non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOC) benzene. The EA confirmed there would be no increase in emission concentrations from the White Oil Docks vent or other site activities as…
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Clean Air Zones have been introduced to reduce local roadside nitrogen dioxide concentrations from transport. We are committed to reducing air pollution from all sources and using the most effective policy tools to do so.
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The Government recognises the importance of providing access to the outdoors for people’s health and wellbeing and is working to ensure that this access is safe and appropriate. As part of this, Defra has committed in its new Environmental Improvement Plan to create 9 new National River…
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Polluting our waterways is unacceptable. It is only right that Southern Water has taken responsibility for the appalling pollution incident on the south coast in November, and I have been clear that the sector as a whole must step up and do better for our people, and for the environment. The…
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The South West Coast Path (SWCP) is a 630 mile National Trail around the SW peninsula. As such it follows open and unprotected coast for much of its length, sections of which due to their geological make up are susceptible to coastal erosion. This has always been the case and will continue to be…
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The beach is monitored by the EA during the bathing season which runs from mid-May to September. The EA monitors the bathing water for bacteria. The results from Meadfoot Beach put it in the highest class for clean water quality: it is rated as excellent.The EA’s local Bathing Water data…
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The Water White Paper sets out wide-ranging reforms to the water system, intended to clean up our rivers, lakes and coastal waters. The Bathing Water (Amendment) (England and Wales) Regulations 2025 do not feature in the white paper, but form part of this wider reform, as an early step towards…
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Baroness Hayman visited Lough Neagh with Defra officials and Minister Muir in March 2025, to see first-hand some of the shared challenges. Subsequently at the November 2025 meeting of the Interministerial Group for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Ministers from across the UK, including the…
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The PFAS Plan published on 3 February 2026 sets out the Government’s approach towards PFAS in consumer articles. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) were involved in the development of the PFAS Plan. Any future UK REACH Restriction would currently involve the UK REACH Agency, the HSE,…
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The Environment Agency is working with Water Companies on WINEP schemes in your constituency, including three investigations due for completion in 2027 and six projects to install monitors at sewage treatment works.
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We have several policy delivery programmes that contribute to the protection and conservation of seabirds, supporting our mission on nature’s recovery. These include integrating seabird needs into our strategic marine spatial planning; management and review of our marine protected areas (MPA)…
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The Government response to the public consultation on modernising environmental permitting for industry will be published in due course. We welcome the input received from respondents to the consultation. The reforms will support innovation and improve the permitting framework.
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The Government is committed to ensuring grid-scale batteries remain as safe as possible and we are exploring options to enhance safeguards to manage the potential environmental and public health risks associated with grid-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) sites. We are currently…
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Defra is working together with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) in relation to those priorities, targets and commitments in DSIT’s Strategy to Support the Development, Validation and Uptake of Alternative Methods whose implementation Defra is placed to support.
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Residents are protected through existing regulatory frameworks overseen by Ofwat, which sets clear rules for water charging, service standards, and the rights of customers, including those living in park homes. All water companies must comply with Ofwat’s Guaranteed Standards Scheme (GSS),…
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The revised Environmental Improvement Plan includes prioritised actions to deliver our goals and the ambitious Environment Act targets. Achieving our environmental ambitions requires collective action from individuals, communities, and organisations across all sectors. The Environment Agency with…
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Defra continues to keep different approaches to supporting marine nature recovery under review, including relevant models used elsewhere in the UK.
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I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 10 February 2026 to the honourable Member for Bridlington and The Wolds in PQ UIN 111494.
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I refer the honourable Member to the answer given on 10 February to the honourable Member for Newbury, PQs 111542 and 111543.
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The Department values the important contribution made by environmental campaigners and non-governmental organisations such as Surfers Against Sewage. Ministers and officials remain in regular contact with stakeholders, including Surfers Against Sewage, as we take forward measures to improve the…
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The Water White Paper published in January 2026, available on GOV.UK, sets out the changes we are making to bring a holistic approach to water planning, which better considers current water infrastructure asset health and the resilience enhancements needed to cater for future needs. This includes…
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We expect Ofwat, as the independent economic regulator, to consider the funding required to enable companies to contribute to national leakage reduction targets as part of its Price Review process. Water companies have committed to reducing leakage, on a national level, by 50% from 2017-2018 levels…
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Private water supplies are regulated by local authorities. They are responsible for identifying risks to the quality of the water and must have comprehensive monitoring programmes in place to sample the drinking water for any element, organism or substance that they believe may cause the supply not…
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The classification of Ultimate Controller is a matter for Ofwat as the independent economic regulator. We are reassured that Ofwat have reviewed the matter and will continue to keep the position of Thames Water’s Ultimate Controllers under review.
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No letter of comfort or formal assurance has been provided by Defra to Thames Water on the financing of the White Horse Reservoir (formerly SESRO).
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As Water Minister I have written to water companies to reiterate how unacceptable the pollution incident at Camber Sands is. Letters of response are currently being analysed and will be used for development of our understanding of bio-bead usage across the industry.
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As stated in last year’s consultation on the proposal for HFC phasedown reform, the UK Government, in collaboration with the Scottish and Welsh Governments, is committed to further exploring areas for F gas reform considered out of scope of the consultation. This includes consideration of…
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The Government’s water White Paper states that we established ‘numerous working groups’ for the purpose of developing the policies behind our extensive reforms, as opposed to a single formal working group for the White Paper. We have clarified this is our response to PQ UIN 107393.
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The Environment Agency’s (EA) Flood and Coastal Risk Management (FCRM) assets play a critical role protecting communities from the impacts of flooding. The EA has an annual programme of around 110,000 asset inspections, which can increase in-year to 165,000. The EA’s asset register is…
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The Environment Agency is delivering the Government’s Flood and Coastal Risk Management (FCRM) Investment Programme of flood and coastal defences, investing £2.65 billion over 2024/5 and 2025/6 with a target of 52,000 properties better protected. A new three-year £4.2 billion FCRM…
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Good Ecological Status is an objective under the Water Framework Directive Regulations and applies specifically to inland, estuarine, and coastal waters up to 1 nautical mile from the coast and so covers only a small part of the entire MPA network. The Government has set out its new vision for…
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