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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to restore river flows in Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire chalk streams; and if he will make a statement.

The Environment Agency (EA) is working with partners across Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire to reduce abstraction and carry out a programme of river restoration projects on chalk streams.

The EA is working with Affinity Water to cease or reduce abstraction from 11 pumping stations on 7 chalk streams in order to improve flows. Through this partnership 70 million litres of water per day will be kept in the environment, enhancing 212 kilometres of chalk streams by 2025.

The EA, Affinity Water and partners have secured £5 million of funding for around 100 river restoration projects across 7 rivers in Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire. This will include the removal of physical modifications, such as weirs, to improve fish movement and biodiversity.