Water Industry Reform Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Lord Trefgarne
Main Page: Lord Trefgarne (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)Department Debates - View all Lord Trefgarne's debates with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
(2 years, 3 months ago)
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Lord Benyon (Con)
Defra and its agencies received an extra £4.3 billion in the latest spending review in October 2021. We have made extra budget available to the Environment Agency for 50 extra inspectors to be recruited in this financial year to visit farms and other sources of water pollution to ensure that action is taken.
Lord Trefgarne (Con)
My Lords, what has come of the proposal for a national water grid, which seems to have been pending for a very long time?
Lord Benyon (Con)
The noble Lord raises an important point. Under the way we economically value water, it is extremely expensive to move it around the country, from areas that have a lot of rain to those that do not. That economic modelling will change very quickly if we continue to have serious droughts, and we have to remain open to moving water between water company areas in a much more joined-up way.