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1719977

registered interest
date	22/05/2024
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Salmon: Rivers
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the declining numbers of salmon in national rivers, especially the River Ure.
tabling member printed	Lord Jopling
uin	HL4855
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2024 answer text <p>The assessment of salmon stocks in rivers at a national scale is undertaken by the Environment Agency through a combination of rod catches, automated fish counters and juvenile monitoring programmes.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The focus for salmon stock assessment is focused on the 42 designated principal salmon rivers in England, many of which have significant salmon fisheries still in existence. The River Ure and wider River Ouse catchments are considered to be recovering salmon rivers and consequently assessment of their salmon stock status is primarily based upon angler declared rod catches that provide a useful measure of the improving status of salmon.</p> answering member printed Lord Douglas-Miller question first answered 24/05/2024 10:31:34 answering member 5006 label Biography information for Lord Douglas-Miller
tabling member	883 label Biography information for Lord Jopling

1719978

registered interest
date	22/05/2024
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Salmon: River Ure
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government whether they or the Environment Agency are taking steps to support the Yorkshire Dales Salmon Group in stocking the River Ure with salmon; and if not, why.
tabling member printed	Lord Jopling
uin	HL4856
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2024 answer text <p>The Environment Agency wishes to work constructively with both River Ure salmon fishing interests and other interested collaborative partner organisations in developing a well thought out salmon restoration plan for the River Ure that takes account of the need for habitat restoration in combination with a suitably approved hatchery scheme to support salmon population recovery. This is despite there being no conclusive scientific evidence to suggest that the previous Ure salmon stocking programme has had a significant influence on River Ure salmon stock performance.</p> answering member printed Lord Douglas-Miller question first answered 24/05/2024 10:31:14 answering member 5006 label Biography information for Lord Douglas-Miller
tabling member	883 label Biography information for Lord Jopling

1719979

registered interest
date	22/05/2024
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Salmon: River Ure
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Environment Agency approved proposals by the Yorkshire Dales Salmon Group to stock the River Ure with young salmon in 2012; if so, whether it still supports that initiative; and if not, on the basis of what evidence.
tabling member printed	Lord Jopling
uin	HL4857
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2024 answer text <p>The Environment Agency (EA) gave a time limited approval to the development of a River Ure salmon stocking programme in 2012. Subsequently, the EA reviewed the international scientific evidence on the risks of salmon stocking and revised its guidance for stocking schemes. This revised guidance should be followed to minimise the risks associated with salmon stocking.</p><p> </p><p>The EA is currently working with the Yorkshire Dales Salmon Group to improve its approach to support the continuation of the River Ure salmon stocking programme.</p> answering member printed Lord Douglas-Miller question first answered 24/05/2024 10:30:49 answering member 5006 label Biography information for Lord Douglas-Miller
tabling member	883 label Biography information for Lord Jopling

1720003

registered interest
date	22/05/2024
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Water Supply: Devon
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government, following the recent parasitic outbreak in drinking water in Devon, what assessment they have made of (1) the proposed compensation for affected consumers, and (2) the impact on consumer confidence.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL4881
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2024 answer text <p>The Guaranteed Standards Scheme sets minimum statutory standards of service for customers of water and sewerage companies, and where a company fails to meet any of these standards it is required to make a specified payment to the affected customer. Several companies also offer enhanced Customer Services Promises in addition to the statutory requirements, including compensation payments for additional standards.</p><p> </p><p>In relation to the incident in Devon, the Secretary of State appreciated the considerable concern and disruption to the local community. He raised those concerns directly with the Chief Executive. South West Water increased its standard payment within its Customer Service Promise for a boil water notice to £115. Some customers will receive £265 which represents financial compensation equivalent to over 50% of South West Water’s average annual bill per household, according to Ofwat’s bill estimates.</p><p> </p><p>Excellent customer experience is important to maintain consumer trust and confidence in the water sector. We expect water companies to take that seriously, to respond to events appropriately in a timely manner and to deliver better services to their customers.</p> answering member printed Lord Douglas-Miller question first answered 24/05/2024 13:30:57 answering member 5006 label Biography information for Lord Douglas-Miller
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1719894

registered interest
date	21/05/2024
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Thames Flood Barrier
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what is the life expectancy of the Thames Barrier; and whether there are any plans to alter the current pattern or frequency of use in order to manage its expected lifespan.
tabling member printed	Lord Lee of Trafford
uin	HL4817
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2024 answer text <p>The Thames Barrier forms part of a complex system of assets along the Thames and its tributaries to manage the risk of flooding in London. The barrier is expected to provide the required standard of protection out to 2070 based on projected rates of sea levels rise and with significant investment to upgrade and improve the mechanical, electrical, forecasting and supporting systems.</p><p> </p><p>The Thames Barrier needs to be maintained to ensure its operational reliability. Closing it too frequently could reduce its reliability, because it would make it difficult to maintain to the required standards, as well as negatively impacting on shipping. As such the Thames Estuary 2100 Plan sets out a strategy to manage the frequency of closures and its lifespan. This includes implementing measures to manage non-tidal flooding (i.e., flooding driven by high river flows coming down the Thames) in west London without relying on the Thames Barrier by 2035, as well as raising defences upstream of the barrier by 2050 to allow higher tides upriver, thereby reducing the number of times the barrier needs to close.</p><p> </p><p>The Thames Estuary Plan takes an adaptation pathways approach, planning for a range of future climate scenarios with a light touch review every five years and a comprehensive review every 10 years. At present all end of century options for upgrading or replacing the Thames Barrier remain available, with a decision needed by 2040 so that an option can be in place by 2070.</p> answering member printed Lord Douglas-Miller question first answered 23/05/2024 15:04:36 answering member 5006 label Biography information for Lord Douglas-Miller
tabling member	1132 label Biography information for Lord Lee of Trafford

1719185

registered interest
date	20/05/2024
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Water Companies
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government whether water companies are required to have full and complete maps of their sewage network infrastructure, and if so how this is enforced.
tabling member printed	Lord Sikka
uin	HL4792
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2024 answer text <p>Having a full and detailed map of sewerage assets is a vital part of understanding the network and identifying areas for improvements. Water companies are already required to map their assets under Section 199 of the Water Industry Act 1991. The section, and the requirement to map assets, is enforceable under powers laid out in Section 18 of the Act. Sewerage undertakers are not required to keep records of assets that were laid before 1 September 1989, but only if either:</p><p> </p><p>1) the undertaker does not know of, or have reasonable grounds for suspecting, the existence of the drain, sewer or disposal main;</p><p>2) it is not reasonably practicable for the undertaker to discover the course of the drain, sewer or disposal main and it has not done so.</p><p> </p><p>As part of the Environment Act 2021, a new duty has been created for sewerage undertakers in England to produce Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans (DWMPs). DWMPs set out how a sewerage undertaker intends to manage and improve their drainage and wastewater systems over the next 25 years. DWMPs will complement existing requirements to map the sewerage network, to facilitate a detailed understanding of the network and help ensure that drainage and wastewater services are better managed and properly supported, as well as delivering greater efficiencies for customers and supporting investment in nature-based solutions.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, the Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan sets out that the Government expects that water companies have maps of their sewer networks, to understand where properties with separate rainwater pipes are connected to their combined sewer network.</p> answering member printed Lord Douglas-Miller question first answered 24/05/2024 09:13:46 answering member 5006 label Biography information for Lord Douglas-Miller
tabling member	4885 label Biography information for Lord Sikka

1719186

registered interest
date	20/05/2024
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Water Companies: Nationalisation
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have made for the nationalisation of water companies.
tabling member printed	Lord Sikka
uin	HL4793
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2024 answer text <p>Water companies are commercial entities. However, as you would expect, the Government prepares for a range of scenarios across its regulated industries – including water – as any government would.</p><p> </p><p>The Defra Secretary of State and Ofwat (with consent of the Secretary of State) have the power to request the court to place a company in Special Administration Regime so that its business can either be rescued or transferred as a going concern to new owners.</p> answering member printed Lord Douglas-Miller question first answered 23/05/2024 14:34:36 answering member 5006 label Biography information for Lord Douglas-Miller
tabling member	4885 label Biography information for Lord Sikka

1719123

registered interest
date	17/05/2024
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Minerals: Recycling
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to improve recycling infrastructure and technologies to enable the increased recovery of critical minerals and other materials.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL4761
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2024 answer text <p>Defra is committed to delivering a more sustainable future for the UK and world. Supporting this we announced in February the world’s first United Nations-backed International Centre of Excellence on Sustainable Resource Management in the Circular Economy. The centre will deliver solutions that will promote recycling and Circular Economy solutions across a range of important minerals and metals, including Critical Minerals. In partnership with national and international partners the centre will deliver environmentally sustainable primary extraction of Critical Minerals and map the flow of these critical and priority minerals across their complete life cycle, from extraction to reuse, recovery to disposal.</p><p> </p><p>Further, Government recently consulted on proposals to reform the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations and will consult in the summer on reforms to the Batteries Regulations, with the intention in both cases of improving the collection and treatment of waste products and materials at end-of-life.</p> answering member printed Lord Douglas-Miller question first answered 23/05/2024 15:04:21 answering member 5006 label Biography information for Lord Douglas-Miller
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1719126

registered interest
date	17/05/2024
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Environment Agency: Standards
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the performance of the Environment Agency in relation to (1) monitoring water quality, and (2) taking appropriate remedial action.
tabling member printed	Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
uin	HL4764
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2024 answer text <p>DEFRA works closely with the Environment Agency to ensure it is equipped to carry out its functions effectively and deliver for the public and the environment.</p><p> </p><p>The EA is accountable to Parliament via the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. As the principal sponsor of EA, DEFRA works closely with EA officials at every level to provide constructive challenge and support on EA performance and delivery.</p><p> </p><p>The EA currently operates a network of monitoring programmes which fulfil different legislative, regulatory and policy needs. These programmes have been designed by technical experts to reflect a diverse range of parameters used to understand water quality, at the scale and frequency the data is required.</p><p> </p><p>In 2023 over 70,000 samples were collected and analysed to understand water quality from a range of programmes. The EA also has continuous monitoring in place for water quality at over 200 sites at any given time.</p><p> </p><p>It is critical that we continue to build and maintain a robust evidence base which strengthens our understanding of the state of the environment, and the pressures and risks impacting it. This allows action to be taken in the right places to improve the environment when needed.</p> answering member printed Lord Douglas-Miller question first answered 24/05/2024 12:31:46 answering member 5006 label Biography information for Lord Douglas-Miller
tabling member	4282 label Biography information for Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

1719127

registered interest
date	17/05/2024
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Drinking Water and Sewage: Standards
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address public concerns concerning (1) the quality of drinking water, and (2) the discharge of untreated waste into the sea, rivers and lakes.
tabling member printed	Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
uin	HL4765
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2024 answer text <p>It is important not to conflate the quality of raw water and drinking water. Drinking water quality in England is of an exceptionally high standard and among the best in the world. Compliance with drinking water quality standards has been consistently high for a number of years, with a rate of 99.97% in 2022.</p><p> </p><p>The Government published the Plan for Water in April 2023 – our comprehensive strategy for managing our water environment. It brings together the significant steps we have already taken with a suite of new policy actions. It aims to change the way that we manage water, improve water quality, and continue to secure our water supply through increased investment, stronger regulation and enforcement.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is clear that the amount of sewage discharged into our waters is unacceptable. The Storm Overflow Discharge Reduction Plan (SODRP) sets out stringent targets to protect people and the environment; and prioritises for early action areas used for bathing, for growing shellfish or with high ecological importance. The SODRP will drive £60 billion investment between now and 2050 to improve storm overflows, the largest infrastructure programme in water company history.</p><p> </p><p>We will not let companies get away with illegal activity and where breaches are found, the regulators will not hesitate to hold companies to account.</p><p> </p><p>The recent cryptosporidium outbreak in Brixham is extremely unfortunate and it is a horrific experience for the people who have been made ill. The Drinking Water Inspectorate is actively investigating the cause, extent and actions of the company, and will take actions including enforcement action in due course to prevent this type of event happening again.</p><p> </p><p>Thankfully, these events are very rare, and elsewhere consumers should continue to have confidence in their high quality drinking water.</p> answering member printed Lord Douglas-Miller question first answered 24/05/2024 13:29:52 answering member 5006 label Biography information for Lord Douglas-Miller
tabling member	4282 label Biography information for Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth