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 to improve the quality of water in the River Mersey.

We are committed to continue to improving water quality and are delivering the record investment, the stronger regulation and the tougher enforcement to improve our water for our own health, for nature and the economy. For example, on 20 February we announced plans to more than quadruple Environment Agency (EA) water company inspections, strengthening oversight, reducing the reliance on self-monitoring.

The EA has been working with United Utilities in Stockport and in the upstream catchments of the River Tame and River Goyt. Within the current investment programme (2020-2025) there are improvements due to be completed at 2 storm overflows and at 6 of the wastewater treatment works in the upstream catchments. EA has also been working with United Utilities on their investment programme for 2025-2030.

The EA also have national programmes investigating persistent chemical failures and historic sources of chemicals across the Mersey catchment.