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    , "items" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1696156", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
      ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1696156/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "<p>Through the Government\u2019s Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan, we have set stringent targets for water companies to reduce the use of storm overflows, driving the largest infrastructure programme in water company history of £60 billion over 25 years. We expect water companies to utilise a natural capital approach, considering carbon reduction and biodiversity net gain, as well as catchment level and nature-based solutions in their planning where possible.<\/p><p> <\/p><p>Water company investment in environmental improvements has been scaled up to £7.1 billion over the period 2020 \u2013 25. This includes £3.1 billion invested in storm overflow improvements specifically. Moreover, we expect water companies to use the next five-year Price Review period (2025-2030) to set bold and ambitious plans that deliver for people and the environment.<\/p><p> <\/p><p>On 11 March, the Government announced additional fast-tracked investment of £180m over the next 12 months into improving sewer infrastructure. This is expected to prevent more than 8000 sewage spills polluting English waterways.<\/p>"}
        , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4861", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Robbie Moore"}
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        , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Robbie Moore"}
        , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-03-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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        , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-03-25T17:05:18.583Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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      , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
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      , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-03-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
      , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Sewage: Rivers"}
      , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
      , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
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      ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of infrastructure in preventing sewage releases into rivers.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
      , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4471", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Rachael Maskell"}
      }
      , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "York Central"}
      , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Rachael Maskell"}
      ], "uin" : "18739"}
    , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1696157", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
      ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1696157/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "<p>There is no operator of last resort for water companies. Ofwat monitors the performance and financial position of all water companies and publishes results on these annually. Ofwat will take action when water company performance is not at the level Government expect, or if their investors need to strengthen their long-term financial resilience.<\/p><p> <\/p><p>This Government is holding the water industry to account on a scale never seen before. We have legislated to introduce unlimited penalties on water companies who breach their environmental permits and expand the range of offences to which penalties can be applied. Furthermore, on 20 February, the Government and Environment Agency (EA) announced that they will quadruple the number of water company inspections to crack down on poor performing companies.<\/p><p> <\/p><p>We will continue to hold water companies to account and if there are illegal breaches of permits, the regulators will not hesitate to take robust action.<\/p>"}
        , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4861", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Robbie Moore"}
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        , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Robbie Moore"}
        , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-03-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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        , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-03-25T16:09:36.2Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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      , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
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      , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-03-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
      , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Sewage: Rivers"}
      , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
      , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
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      ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to move water companies that do not restrict sewage spills under an operator of last resort.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
      , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4471", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Rachael Maskell"}
      }
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      , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Rachael Maskell"}
      ], "uin" : "18740"}
    , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1696159", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
      ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1696159/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "<p>The Government directed water companies to increase their storm overflow monitoring in 2013 and achieved 100% event duration monitoring (EDM) coverage before the end of 2023. EDM data shows when storm overflows are discharging, and how long discharges have lasted for. The wealth of data collected from these monitors will ensure that we know the full extent of the problem \u2013 increasing transparency, revealing the worst-offending overflows, and enabling regulators to hold polluters to account.<\/p><p> <\/p><p>In addition, the Environment Agency takes over 7,000 samples each year at England\u2019s 424 designated bathing waters, which are used to determine the annual bathing water classifications. These classifications are displayed on signage at bathing waters and online on the Environment Agency\u2019s Swimfo website, to allow bathers to make informed decisions before entering the water. If there is a pollution incident, a notification is posted on the Swimfo website and on signage at the bathing water. Throughout the bathing season, the Environment Agency makes daily pollution risk forecasts for a number of bathing waters, where water quality may be temporarily reduced due to factors such as heavy rainfall, wind or the tide. When a temporary reduction in water quality is forecast, the Environment Agency issues a pollution risk warning and advice against bathing, enabling bathers to avoid times or locations where the risk of pollution is higher than normal and health risks from bathing may be higher than the annual classification suggests. To reduce risk to health from bathing waters, the UK Health Security Agency and the Environment Agency offer advice in their \u2018Swim Healthy\u2019 guidance, which is available to read before making any decision on swimming.<\/p>"}
        , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4861", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Robbie Moore"}
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      , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-03-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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      , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
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      ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to provide public health warnings over the risk to (a) people and (b) animals of entering rivers into which sewage has been released.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
      , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4471", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Rachael Maskell"}
      }
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      , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Rachael Maskell"}
      ], "uin" : "18742"}
    , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1696160", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
      ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1696160/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "<p>The Government is clear that the amount of sewage currently being discharged into our waters is unacceptable. Through the government\u2019s Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan, we have set stringent targets for water companies to reduce the use of storm overflows. Our Plan will eliminate ecological harm from all storm sewage discharges by 2050.<\/p><p> <\/p><p>In 2023 the Environment Agency carried out 17 targeted compliance inspections of Yorkshire Water\u2019s waste-water treatment works which discharge into the Foss/Ouse and their tributaries.<\/p><p> <\/p><p>Within the current Price Review Period, which runs from 2020 to 2025, Yorkshire Water will be improving Hutton and Stillington treatment works, which discharge into the Foss catchment, in order to ensure they comply with requirements under the Water Framework Directive (WFD). These improvements should reduce Phosphorus from the final effluent, and drive improvement of the WFD status.<\/p>"}
        , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4861", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Robbie Moore"}
        }
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        , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Robbie Moore"}
        , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-04-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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        , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-04-02T13:06:48.17Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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      , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-03-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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      , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
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      ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he expects sewage releases into (a) the River Foss, (b) the River Ouse and (c) their tributaries to stop.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
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