Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Munira Wilson and Emma Hardy

Thursday 18th December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Munira Wilson (Twickenham) (LD)]

4. What assessment she has made of the adequacy of flood defences in Twickenham constituency.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Emma Hardy)]

Merry Christmas to you, Mr Speaker, and to all.

Of course, in team DEFRA, we are dreaming of a dry Christmas, but just in case we do not get one, we are investing a record £10.5 billion into our flood and coastal defences, and the Environment Agency has reprioritised £108 million into urgent maintenance, halting the decline of our assets. If we have flooding over Christmas, dedicated teams will be on call across the country, ready to support and respond to those in need. I want to express my deepest gratitude to the Environment Agency and all our emergency services for their unwavering commitment and tireless effort; I thank them all for their hard work.

[Munira Wilson]

Happy Christmas to you and all your staff, Mr Speaker.

Recently, out of the blue, the Environment Agency’s flood risk map was updated to include an extra 3,800 homes in Teddington in my constituency at flood risk. There has been zero engagement with residents or elected representatives, and this is causing a lot of alarm and concern about how people and their homes can be protected. It has an impact on insurance premiums and those buying and selling homes in the area. What assurances can the Minister give my constituents about engagement in future and, more importantly, what mitigations and protections are being put in place?

[Emma Hardy]

The hon. Lady raises an important point. Part of the purpose of that mapping is to inform people and the wider community. For the very first time, the mapping under the new national flood risk assessment—NaFRA 2—includes the risk from surface water flooding, which was never included in previous maps; previously, only tidal and river were included. It is part of informing people. It is not that they have an increased risk; it is that, for the first time, that risk has been displayed to them. Of course, it is very important that all of this is articulated carefully and considerately with elected Members of Parliament. If she would like, I can put her directly in contact with the EA area director, who can talk a bit more about the detail that is available on these maps and how they can better inform residents and local communities about the level of flood risk they could be subjected to.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Munira Wilson and Emma Hardy

Thursday 6th February 2025 Commons Chamber

[Munira Wilson (Twickenham) (LD)]

T4. The area around Heathrow has breached nitrogen dioxide legal limits for years now, so what assessment has the Environment Secretary made of the impact on air quality of both the additional flights and the additional vehicles travelling to and from Heathrow as a result of a third runway?

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Emma Hardy)]

I thank the hon. Lady for her important question. The Government are developing a series of interventions to reduce emissions, so that everybody’s exposure to air pollution is reduced. We are also conducting a comprehensive review of how we communicate air quality information, to ensure that members of the public and vulnerable groups have the information they need to protect themselves and understand the impact on air quality. Of course, no further decisions have been made regarding other developments.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Munira Wilson and Emma Hardy

Thursday 19th December 2024 Commons Chamber

[Munira Wilson (Twickenham) (LD)]

4. Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of putting the Drinking Water Inspectorate’s guidance on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances on a statutory footing.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Emma Hardy)]

I thank the hon. Lady for raising this important issue. The Drinking Water Inspectorate requires water companies to monitor, assess and report on the risks from PFAS. We are aware of concerns relating to that, and officials are working on it.

[Munira Wilson]

Happy Christmas, Mr Speaker.

I thank the Minister for her answer and for offering me a meeting on this topic earlier this week—I look forward to pursuing it with her. Given the wealth of authoritative evidence on the harmful impact on human health of PFAS in our drinking water, and that Scotland, the European Union and the United States have all put PFAS guidance on a statutory footing, why do this Government appear to have no plans to do the same for England and Wales? Will the Minister consider amending the Water (Special Measures) Bill to that end?

[Emma Hardy]

As I have mentioned, this is an important issue, and I look forward to discussing it in more detail. Work to assess the risks of PFAS, and to inform policy and regulatory approaches—including banning or highly restricting certain chemicals and addressing issues caused by their historical use—is continuing. The nature of PFAS chemicals and their persistence once in the environment means that there are no quick fixes, but this is a global challenge. Innovation in suitable PFAS alternatives is needed, and we are working to harness industry leadership in the transition away from PFAS. I assure the hon. Lady that work on this issue is ongoing.