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 work with Southern Water and the Environment Agency on addressing sewage discharges into the River Medway.

In February 2023, the Secretary of State asked water and sewerage companies to set an action plan on every storm overflow in England.

The Environment Agency is working closely with Southern Water to identify improvement schemes required to improve the water quality of the Medway. These schemes will reduce excess nutrients in rivers and the frequency of storm overflow discharges. This work is ongoing and part of the WINEP Price Review 2024.