Defra works closely with water companies, including Thames Water, to ensure that they meet their regulatory requirements in relation to security and resilience as set out on the Security and Emergency Measures Direction (SEMD) 2022 \u2013 including preparedness for short-term risks.<\/p>
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Defra published its Plan for Water which set out the importance of ensuring a clean and plentiful water supply. It estimated 4,000 million litres per day of extra capacity is needed in England by 2050 to sustainably meet the pressures on public supply from climate change, population growth and the needs of a healthy environment. The Plan sets out our commitment to a twin track approach to improving water supply resilience, with action to reduce water company leaks alongside investing in new supply infrastructure.<\/p>
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Last year, regional water resources groups and water companies, including Thames Water, consulted on their draft water resources plans. These statutory plans set out how each company will secure water supplies sustainably for at least the next 25 years. Within their plans, water companies consider all options, including water demand management and new water resources infrastructure. The plans are scrutinised by water regulators and the Environment Agency is advising the Secretary of State\u2019s decisions on the next steps for the plans.<\/p>
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Drinking water quality in England is of an exceptionally high standard and among the best in the world. Water companies have a statutory duty to carry out regular risk assessments and sampling for any substance that may pose a risk to human health to make sure that drinking water supplies remain safe to drink. The Drinking Water Inspectorate monitor water companies\u2019 compliance with our drinking water regulations and, where necessary, take enforcement action.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4861", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Robbie Moore"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Keighley"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Robbie Moore"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-01-24", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-01-24T16:31:05.84Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "13"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-01-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Water Supply: Greater London"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to help ensure London has a safe and sustainable water supply; and what steps he is taking to help minimise the environmental impact of London's water supply.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4788", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Fleur Anderson"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Putney"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Fleur Anderson"} ], "uin" : "9670"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1174332", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1174332/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
This government has announced a programme of research and pilots to explore ways of supporting disadvantaged families during school holidays. Following the success of our previous programmes, we now understand more about how best to support disadvantaged families. We are targeting this support where it is needed during the 6-week summer holidays.<\/p>
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We awarded £2 million of funding to 7 organisations to deliver free healthy food and activities to children and families in some of the most disadvantaged areas in the country during the 2018 summer holidays. The organisations informed us that with this money they were able to support around 280 clubs and reach around 18,000 children.<\/p>
In summer 2019 we invested £9 million in 11 local authority areas reaching around 50,000 children. The assessment process for bids for the 2020 summer programme remains ongoing and we will announce the outcome of the process shortly, alongside the areas that we will be working in and the number of children that we expect to benefit.<\/p>
We have also commissioned an independent evaluation of the 2019 programme, which will report on the number of disadvantaged eligible children who accessed the clubs across the country, including our work in the North East, and which will be published in 2020.<\/p>
Further funding of this programme after 2020 will be considered as part of the three-year Spending Review and we will set out our plans in due course.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4530", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Michelle Donelan"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Chippenham"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Michelle Donelan"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2020-02-07", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "9669"} , {"_value" : "9671"} , {"_value" : "9672"} , {"_value" : "9673"} ], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2020-02-07T14:43:24.9Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2020-01-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Holiday Activities and Food Programme"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Holiday Activities and Food scheme will operate in each year of the 2019 Parliament.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4122", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Alex Cunningham"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stockton North"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Alex Cunningham"} ], "uin" : "9670"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/758990", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/758990/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) should take all reasonable steps to ensure that employees, committee members, contractors and others engaged under contract with them are aware of the requirement to inform the CCG if they are employed or engaged in, or wish to be employed or engaged in, any employment or consultancy work in addition to their work with the CCG (for example, in relation to new care model arrangements).<\/p>
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The following principles and rules should be adhered to:<\/p>
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- CCGs should require that individuals obtain prior permission to engage in outside employment, and reserve the right to refuse permission where it believes a conflict will arise which cannot be effectively managed;<\/p>
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- Staff should declare any existing outside employment on appointment, and any new outside employment when it arises;<\/p>
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- CCGs may also have legitimate reasons within employment law for knowing about outside employment of staff; even if this does not give rise to risk of a conflict. Nothing in this guidance prevents such enquiries being made.<\/p>
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- CCGs should ensure that they have clear and robust organisational policies in place to manage issues arising from outside employment. In particular, it is unacceptable for pharmacy advisers or other advisers, employees or consultants to the CCG on matters of procurement to themselves be in receipt of payments from the pharmaceutical or devices sector.<\/p>
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- All CCGs have a statutory duty to follow this guidance and ensure that any person involved in making a decision on the contract award has no pecuniary interest. Guidance on managing conflicts of interest is available at the following link:<\/p>
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/revised-ccg-coi-guidance-jul-17.pdf<\/a><\/p> <\/p> - All staff National Health Service terms and conditions of service is available at the following link:<\/p>