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<p>The water environment faces multiple pressures, including from population growth
and climate change. Improving our water environment will be challenging and requires
a combined effort of government, industry, businesses and civil society. The Government
and its agencies, including the Environment Agency, are taking action. We are committed
to our goal of delivering clean and plentiful water, as set out in the 25 Year Environment
Plan.</p><p>Defra and its agencies received a £1 billion increase in overall funding
at the 2020 spending review so we can do more to tackle climate change and protect
our environment for future generations. Discussions are underway about the allocation
of funding through the upcoming spending review to support delivery of the government's
environmental priorities.</p><p>In addition, from 2020 to 2025 water companies are
investing £7.1 billion to protect and improve the water environment. This includes
£600 million of additional funding for the environment enabled through the Government
and regulators' Green Recovery scheme.</p><p>The Government is aware of the impact
of phosphate and other pollutants on the degradation of waterbodies in Somerset and
nationally. We are working closely with Natural England and the Environment Agency
(EA) to provide the tools to address this problem. I have also been working with MHCLG
on the nutrient pollution taskforce, which meets every four to six weeks, to ensure
action is coordinated and joined up.</p><p>Regulations, including the Farming Rules
for Water, are in place to protect the water environment from diffuse agricultural
pollution.</p><p>We have increased agricultural inspections in Somerset and other
affected areas to address phosphate pollution at source by recently allocating the
EA an additional £1.2 million to significantly increase the number of inspectors visiting
farmers. We have also escalated our efforts to help farmers take voluntary action
beyond regulatory requirements to reduce water pollution by expanding the Catchment
Sensitive Farming programme - jointly run by Natural England, EA and Defra - to operate
across the whole of England.</p>
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