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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking under the Sewage (Inland Waters) Bill to improve the health of (a) rivers and (b) other inland waters.

The Sewage (Inland Waters) Bill is a Private Members' Bill sponsored by my Rt Hon Friend the Member for Ludlow. The Government is very supportive of the intentions of the Bill. With regard to measures to improve the health of rivers and other inland waters, the Government remains committed to bringing at least three quarters of our waters to as close as possible to their natural state as soon as is practicable. In support of this, we will be bringing forward a further legally binding target as part of the targets setting processes set out in the Environment Bill.

Sewage management by some water companies and diffuse pollution from agriculture are the two biggest sources of pollution affecting England's water environment. Through regulation, enforcement, financial incentives and educational schemes, we are improving poor farming practices which lead to water pollution. Our new Environmental Land Management scheme will be a critical part of that.

With regard to sewage pollution, water companies are committed in the five-year business planning period (2020-2025) to a significant programme of improvements to the monitoring and management of storm overflows at a cost of around £1.2 billion. However, I recognise that there is more to do. I met water company CEOs in September and made clear that the volumes of sewage discharged into rivers and other waterways in extreme weather must be reduced. To achieve this, I have set up a new Taskforce bringing together the Government, the water industry, regulators and environmental NGOs. This Taskforce will set out clear proposals to address the volumes of sewage discharged into our rivers. The Taskforce is also exploring further short-term actions water companies can take to accelerate progress on storm overflows.