Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she expects to conclude the review of the Deer Act 1991 and other legislation underpinning the protection and management of deer; and when she expects to publish the review's findings.
Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is in the process of reviewing the Deer Act 1991 and other legislation which underpins the protection and management of deer. Any proposed changes in the law will be subject to Parliamentary time and suitable opportunities for making legislative changes being available.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the potential contribution Sustainable Drainage Systems towards drought resilience and levels of demand on public water supplies over the next 25 years.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recognises the importance of sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) in improving drought resilience and reducing demand on water supply. The National Planning Policy Framework requires SuDS in all new development, designed and maintained to the National Standards.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to amend (a) environmental permitting and (b) waste licensing requirements to facilitate the reuse of treated wastewater for non-potable industrial uses.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is exploring opportunities for businesses to use treated wastewater instead of drinking water or water taken from the environment. The Environment Agency supports innovation and wastewater treatment approaches where there is sufficient evidence, regulatory assurance, and protection of people and the environment.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what principles will guide decisions on water allocation where the water requirements of major infrastructure projects may potentially conflict with environmental flow requirements for protected habitats and chalk streams.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that planning policies and decisions should protect and enhance valued landscapes and sites of biodiversity, which includes Chalk Streams. We have also set out more clearly expectations for development proposals to assess and mitigate adverse impacts to water quality on these sensitive waterbodies.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in what ways citizen science water quality monitoring groups will be involved in the development of regional water resources plans where they are not represented on Regional Water Planning Steering Groups.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are investing in citizen science to improve environmental understanding and generate high-quality evidence to solve water system problems. Government has doubled support to catchment partnerships and funded Water Environment Improvement Fund projects which support development of citizen science. Catchment Partnerships will ensure regional plans are grounded in local knowledge.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she expects to launch the consultation on reservoir safety reform.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is reviewing the public consultation on reservoir safety reform. Many of the recommendations from the Independent Reservoir Safety Report have already been implemented – detail can be found at Reservoir Safety Reforms | Reservoir Safety Reform Programme | Engage Environment Agency.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 25 June 2026 to UIN 10802, what criteria her Department uses to make decisions on publishing such information.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government judged that publication of the information requested would not be appropriate as its disclosure would prejudice commercial interests.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to question asked by the hon. member for Henley and Thame during a statement to the house on 16th June by the Secretary of State on Thames Water, if she will publish outputs of work commissioned from FTI consulting on planning for Thames Water being taken into a Special Administration Regime and confirm how much has been spent on contingency planning.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is preparing for all eventualities including special administration. The work done by FTI would not be appropriate to make public. It would also not be appropriate at this time to make public the current spending on contingency planning.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what contingency planning her Department has undertaken to monitor and improve Thames Water’s Asset Health Index in future.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In line with Section 2 duties of the Water Industry Act 1991, the Secretary of State has given her preliminary views on the London and Valley Water Consortium’s Proposal to Ofwat, but it is for Ofwat to decide whether to reject or accept the Proposal.
The Government is overseeing a shift to a system where assets are properly maintained and there are clear standards for companies to meet, supported by improved asset mapping and forward‑looking metrics.
Regulators will continue enforcing standards in full, and companies remain accountable for fixing current problems where performance falls short.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her letter of Monday 15th June 2026 to Ofwat on Thames Water’s performance and infrastructure, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her Department's policies of the company’s Asset Health Index; what steps she is taking to ensure that reductions in asset health are tackled through regulatory and enforcement action; and what action she plans to take if Thames Water’s Asset Health Index further reduces.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In line with Section 2 duties of the Water Industry Act 1991, the Secretary of State has given her preliminary views on the London and Valley Water Consortium’s Proposal to Ofwat, but it is for Ofwat to decide whether to reject or accept the Proposal.
The Government is overseeing a shift to a system where assets are properly maintained and there are clear standards for companies to meet, supported by improved asset mapping and forward‑looking metrics.
Regulators will continue enforcing standards in full, and companies remain accountable for fixing current problems where performance falls short.