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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the level of customer engagement undertaken by Southern Water and Portsmouth Water on the acceptability of effluent recycling, and whether she plans to require earlier and more robust consultation.

Southern Water is due to submit its Development Consent Order application to the Planning Inspectorate for its scrutiny in May 2026. There will be further opportunity for representations to be made through any subsequent Examination in Public.