Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the Civil Contingencies Act to enable livestock owners and farmers to support their livestock during emergencies such as water outages.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Animal Welfare Codes, made under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, recommend that keepers should have contingency plans for events such as the disruption of feed, power or water supply.

The Government expects water companies to provide a secure and resilient supply of water at all times. Disruptions to water supplies can have significant consequences for animal health and farm operations, underlining the importance of water companies maintaining robust resilience and contingency plans.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that water companies support those on the Priority Services Register during emergency incidents.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Under the Security and Emergency Measures Direction 2022 (SEMD), water companies must identify and prioritise vulnerable customers during supply interruptions. They must maintain a Priority Services Register (PSR) to identify those needing extra support in emergencies, including priority access to alternative water supplies. Ofwat provides PSR guidance, and the Drinking Water Inspectorate regulates compliance with SEMD.

During sustained or large-scale water supply incidents, Defra regularly engages with water companies. Support for vulnerable customers, including those on PSR, is routinely discussed, and companies must demonstrate that appropriate arrangements are in place.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support biodiversity in Epping Forest constituency.

Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government supported Essex County Council to develop the Essex Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS), which includes Epping Forest. Essex LNRS, brings together local stakeholders to agree priorities for nature recovery and supports groups and individuals to target action where there is greater benefit for biodiversity.

Natural England (NE) works closely with the City of London Corporation which owns and manages much of Epping Forest. NE recently provided support in securing major agri-environment agreements that fund habitat restoration, including for ancient trees and wood pasture. NE is also monitoring the Epping Forest Special Area of Conservation to inform key actions to protect it.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help improve access for consumers to water supply during extremely warm weather in a) Epping Forest constituency and b) England and Wales.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Water companies in England are responsible for maintaining water supplies in all weather conditions. If supplies fail, they can deploy emergency measures, including mobile water tankers and bottled water stations. Under the Security and Emergency Measures Direction 2022 (SEMD), companies must support vulnerable customers and maintain Priority Service Registers to target alternative supplies. Consumers are encouraged to use water responsibly during extreme heat. During drought, companies should implement their Statutory Drought Plans to maintain secure supplies and are expected to plan for resilience against a 1-in-500-year drought. Drought Plans should align with Water Resources Management Plans, ensuring secure, sustainable supplies.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that water companies communicate effectively with consumers during maintenance work projects.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Guaranteed Standards Scheme (GSS) requires companies to provide at least 48 hours' notice for planned supply disruptions lasting longer than four hours. Last year this Government doubled or more the financial penalties companies must pay to affected customers if they fail to meet GSS standards. Ofwat also requires water companies in England and Wales to communicate upcoming maintenance work and infrastructure projects transparently, focusing on accessibility, timeliness, and customer-led approaches.

If customers believe their water company has not communicated effectively, they can contact the Consumer Council for Water or use the alternative dispute resolution system.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to support greater public awareness around the impacts of climate change.

Answered by Katie White - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

We know people are concerned about climate change and a majority support the Government taking action to tackle this.

Our Energising Britain plan sets out how we will work to ensure people have the facts and understand the scale, pace of change and benefits of climate and nature action as well as the opportunities for their local communities, including through policies that are responsive to people’s needs and views.

The first annual Energising Britain event was held on 6 July at five locations across England, celebrating, supporting and learning from the vital climate and nature action already taking place across the country.

On 13 July, the Government delivered its second annual statement on the state of climate and nature to provide Parliament and the public with an honest assessment of the challenges we face and the progress being made in response.