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1702415

registered interest
date	19/04/2024
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 Water
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has undertaken consultations with (a) stakeholders and (b) investors in relation to Operation Timber in the last 12 months.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	22799
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2024 answer text <p>Fundamentally water companies are commercial entities, and it would be inappropriate to comment further on the specific situation of any individual company.</p><p> </p><p>The Government and Ofwat – the financial regulator for the water sector – are carefully monitoring the situation, and Ofwat continues to engage with Thames Water to support it in improving its financial resilience within the context of its licence and broader statutory obligations.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 29/04/2024 12:40:29 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1702416

registered interest
date	19/04/2024
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 Water
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the potential cost to the public purse of Operation Timber.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	22800
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2024 answer text <p>Fundamentally the company is responsible for raising capital, be it equity or debt – not the regulator or the Government. There are a variety of avenues to explore, which it is vital the company must do, while continuing to fulfil its statutory obligations of providing water and wastewater services to customers.</p><p> </p><p>The Government and Ofwat will always act to protect consumers as a priority and any intervention that would put pressure on the public purse would be considered very seriously and as a last resort.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 29/04/2024 12:39:02 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1702135

registered interest
date	18/04/2024
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	Members: Correspondence
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when his Department plans to respond to email correspondence of (a) 11 January, (b) 8 February, (c) 1 March and (d) 15 March 2024 from the hon. Member for Glasgow East with references (i) MC2024/00868 and (ii) DL17224.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow East
tabling member printed	David Linden
uin	22630
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/05/2024 answer text <p>A response to the hon. Member was sent out on 30 April 2024. I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Sir Mark Spencer question first answered 07/05/2024 09:44:13 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	4640 label Biography information for David Linden

1702147

registered interest
date	18/04/2024
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	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Fraud
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to reduce the costs of fraud in his Department in the last three financial years.
tabling member constituency	Leicester South
tabling member printed	Jonathan Ashworth
uin	22571
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2024 answer text <p>The Government is determined to uncover fraud in the public sector and is proud of its record. As part of this, the Government established the Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA). In 22/23 the PSFA set a target of delivering £180m of savings to the taxpayer. In fact, the PSFA far surpassed this within the first 12 months by preventing and recovering £311 million.</p><p> </p><p>As it enters its second year, the PSFA has a target of achieving £185 million of savings for the taxpayer. The Government has also announced an additional £34 million to deploy cutting edge tools and Artificial Intelligence tools to help combat fraud across the public sector, saving £100 million for the public purse. This is in addition to existing partnerships between PSFA and the tech sector.</p><p> </p><p>Defra's headline response to countering fraud is set out in the Governance Statement of the Annual Report and Accounts. The Annual Report and Accounts for Defra for the past three years may be accessed here:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.publishing.service.gov.uk%2Fmedia%2F61a604d4e90e070441bcf801%2Fdefra-year-end-accounts-2020-2021.pdf&amp;data=05%7C02%7Ccorporatepqs%40defra.gov.uk%7C0b72e9bfb1ac409d674008dc643a0ba0%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C0%7C0%7C638495447675813239%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=nRH7wZaPnUSZoCAOuuRfC4J9iBUIEJlhE39vCGv0noc%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Defra Annual Report and Accounts 2020-21 (publishing.service.gov.uk)</a></p><p> </p><p><a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.publishing.service.gov.uk%2Fmedia%2F635a7f1e8fa8f5653f83f4f0%2Fdefra-annual-report-2021-2022.pdf&amp;data=05%7C02%7Ccorporatepqs%40defra.gov.uk%7C0b72e9bfb1ac409d674008dc643a0ba0%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C0%7C0%7C638495447675824944%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=abUKBzLyva8eBsqNoa7LhJrVtZR1IxuzCJRLRd2MHt8%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Defra Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22 (publishing.service.gov.uk)</a></p><p> </p><p><a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.publishing.service.gov.uk%2Fmedia%2F653a9479e6c9680014aa9be8%2Fannual-report-and-accounts-2022-23.pdf&amp;data=05%7C02%7Ccorporatepqs%40defra.gov.uk%7C0b72e9bfb1ac409d674008dc643a0ba0%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C0%7C0%7C638495447675831576%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=YkHVyZ%2FaD50a%2BqgeyTMM0KGwgwIxwqtHIu5pIKWG2Fo%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Defra Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23 (publishing.service.gov.uk)</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Sir Mark Spencer question first answered 01/05/2024 09:34:23 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	4244 label Biography information for Jonathan Ashworth

1702155

registered interest
date	18/04/2024
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	Storms: Oxfordshire
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support people in Oxfordshire who have been affected by Storm Henk.
tabling member constituency	Oxford West and Abingdon
tabling member printed	Layla Moran
uin	22633
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/04/2024 answer text <p>Storm Henk impacted large parts of Oxfordshire, including homes, businesses and infrastructure. My thoughts are with those affected.</p><p> </p><p>The Environment Agency worked tirelessly to minimise the impacts of flooding by operating flood assets, issuing flood warnings, making sure rivers were free of blockages and, where appropriate, putting out temporary barriers. Following the storm the Environment Agency continues to engage with impacted communities to gather information that will help them, and partners, better understand how they can support the communities to increase their resilience flooding.</p><p> </p><p>The Environment Agency is working with partners to provide a joined-up approach so that communities get the most appropriate and swift support, including the ongoing work to develop and deliver projects such as the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme.</p><p> </p><p>In January 2024, the Government announced the launch of the Flood Recovery Framework for areas most affected by Storm Henk. These schemes closed on 12 April and included:</p><p> </p><ul><li>Community Recovery Grant - £500 per eligible flooded household.</li><li>Business Recovery Grant - £2,500 per eligible small or medium business.</li><li>Council tax and business rates relief – Minimum three months of relief per eligible household/business.</li></ul><p> </p><p>Defra also activated the Property Flood Resilience (PFR) Repair Grant scheme where eligible properties can receive up to £5,000 to install PFR measures. Households and business who suffered from internal flooding should contact Oxfordshire County Council to apply. The PFR scheme opened on 8 January and will close in July 2025.</p><p> </p><p>We are also actively reviewing the areas eligible for support through the Farming Recovery Fund to ensure it supports areas where farmland is most impacted due to Storm Henk. Oxfordshire is among these areas being considered for inclusion in the Fund. We are working through the impacts and will set out the position on the additional areas to be included in the Fund shortly. We will write to all those eligible farmers informing them of the funding they are able to claim.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 24/04/2024 08:43:22 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	4656 label Biography information for Layla Moran

1702158

registered interest
date	18/04/2024
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	Flood Control
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what (a) discussions and (b) correspondence his Department has had with (i) Lead Local Flood Authorities and (ii) the Local Government Association as part of his response of 13 March 2024 to the National Infrastructure Council report Reducing the risk of surface water flooding.
tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle
tabling member printed	Emma Hardy
uin	22631
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/04/2024 answer text <p>In considering the National Infrastructure Commission’s (NIC) study into surface water flooding, Defra officials met with the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport’s (ADEPT) Flood and Water Group. This group is predominately made up of lead local flood authorities and the Local Government Association. At the meeting there was a discussion about the NIC’s study and nine recommendations, and the different views on them. The ADEPT Flood and Water Group also wrote to Defra after the meeting. Defra took these views into account when producing the Government response and accepting or partially accepting all of the NIC’s recommendations.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 24/04/2024 09:39:06 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	4645 label Biography information for Emma Hardy

1702159

registered interest
date	18/04/2024
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	Sewage: Water Sports
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the impact of sewage discharges into waterways on the health of those using the waterways for water sports between 2019 and 2024.
tabling member constituency	Warwick and Leamington
tabling member printed	Matt Western
uin	22605
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/05/2024 answer text <p>The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is responsible for detecting, investigating and managing outbreaks of infectious diseases including those linked to water sports. They have not made a specific assessment about the impact of sewage discharges into waterways on the health of those using waterways for water sports between 2019 and 2024.</p><p> </p><p>However, the Government takes the health of users of our waterways very seriously and is clear that the current volume of sewage being discharged to our waters is unacceptable. Our Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan will eliminate ecological harm from all storm overflows by 2050. It also requires all storm overflows discharging to designated bathing waters to be improved by 2035.</p><p> </p><p>Where a waterway is a designated bathing site, information about the quality of the water is displayed by local authorities on signage and online on the Environment Agency’s Swimfo website, to allow bathers to make informed decisions before entering the water.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 09/05/2024 13:37:44 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	4617 label Biography information for Matt Western

1702160

registered interest
date	18/04/2024
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	Sewage: Wildlife
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the impact of sewage discharges into waterways on wildlife in those waterways between 2019 and 2024.
tabling member constituency	Warwick and Leamington
tabling member printed	Matt Western
uin	22606
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/05/2024 answer text <p><a href="https://environment.data.gov.uk/catchment-planning/England/print#:~:text=Ecological%20status%20for%20surface%20waters&amp;text=Water%20bodies%20are%20classified%20as,bad%20ecological%20status%20or%20potential." target="_blank">The Environment Agency monitors the water environment all year round, collecting tens of thousands of samples from source to sea. </a></p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/environment-agency-2022-data-on-regulated-businesses-in-england" target="_blank">The Environment Agency produces a full set of water body classifications covering every water body in England every six years, with the last full assessment in 2019. To supplement this, last year the Environment Agency published a limited data set which assessed data from 2019 to 2022 to help inform delivery</a>. The next full assessment will be produced in 2025.</p><p> </p><p>Environment Agency data shows that the pollutants that harm wildlife discharged by sewage treatment works are greatly reduced. For example, there is now 85% less ammonia and 80% less phosphorus in the water environment than there was in 1990.</p><p> </p><p>However, the Government is clear that the sector needs to go further and faster to tackle sewage discharges and the harm they cause. The government's Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan will eliminate ecological harm from all storm sewage discharges by 2050. It will protect biodiversity, the ecology of our rivers and seas, and the public health of our water users for generations to come.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 02/05/2024 11:30:59 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	4617 label Biography information for Matt Western

1702163

registered interest
date	18/04/2024
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	Land Drainage
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 16 January 2024 to Question 8811 on Land Drainage, what his expected timetable is for implementing Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010; and what (a) correspondence and (b) discussions he has had with local authorities on preparing for the implementation.
tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle
tabling member printed	Emma Hardy
uin	22632
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/04/2024 answer text <p>The Government remains firmly committed to delivering standardised sustainable drainage systems in new developments as stated in our Plan for Water (April 2023). A consultation will take place shortly and final implementation decisions will be made on scope, threshold and process.</p><p> </p><p>Defra officials engage with local authority representatives on this issue on a regular basis. We would expect discussions to intensify during and following the upcoming public consultation.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 24/04/2024 09:33:59 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	4645 label Biography information for Emma Hardy

1702202

registered interest
date	18/04/2024
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	Air Pollution
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what funding is available to local authorities for clean air programmes.
tabling member constituency	Manchester, Gorton
tabling member printed	Afzal Khan
uin	22635
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2024 answer text <p>We have allocated over £883 million to help local authorities develop and implement local NO2 reduction plans and to support those impacted by these plans. In addition, the Local Air Quality Grant scheme has supported over 500 projects with a total of over £53 million since 2010. We are currently considering whether the Local Air Quality Grant scheme might be redesigned to better deliver positive outcomes for local air quality.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 25/04/2024 09:47:18 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	4671 label Biography information for Afzal Khan