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 has taken to improve the (a) water quality and (b) biodiversity of (i) lakes, (ii) rivers and (iii) waterways (A) nationally and (B) in Romford constituency.

In April, we published our landmark Plan for Water, to deliver clean and plentiful water for people, businesses and nature. The Plan for Water set out a suite of policy actions to tackle every source of pollution and increase our resilience to drought. This is essential to provide habitats for biodiversity to thrive. The Plan is underpinned by three things:

1. Increased investment for improvements, including £2.2 billion from water companies to spend on new and better infrastructure in the next two years, more funding for catchment-scale groups, and almost tripling slurry grant funding for farmers to £34 million (up from £13 million).
2. Stronger regulation, which includes more EA inspections of wastewater treatment works, banning plastic wet wipes (subject to consultation), and new restrictions of ‘forever’ chemicals that damage our waters.
3. Tougher enforcement including bigger penalties for water companies and tighter control over water company dividend payments.

(A) In Romford constituency

As a member of the Roding, Beam and Ingrebourne (RBI) Catchment Partnership, the Environment Agency is working with local partners to improve the water quality and biodiversity of waterbodies within Romford. Examples of current projects within Romford are:

Yellowfish and Junior River Wardens Project - The Environment Agency is working with Groundwork East to deliver a combined Yellowfish and Junior River Wardens project working with schools along the River Ingrebourne and River Rom. This unique new approach will help embed and sustain local learning, education and messaging around surface water and river health. Junior River Wardens helps participants experience the valuable role they can have monitoring water quality. Yellow Fish is shown to increase public awareness of issues affecting local rivers and the wider environment and how everyone can play a part.

Mink Eradication - The RBI Catchment Partnership is working collaboratively to deliver a catchment wide approach to Mink Eradication, building on the Mink Eradication project Essex Wildlife Trust have been running across Essex. Mink are a problematic invasive species in this location who pose a threat to water voles and other native species. Thames Chase Trust have applied for funding from the Environment Agency next financial year to further build on this catchment wide approach and deliver a project to trap Mink on the River Rom.

Additionally, as a statutory consultee in the planning process, the Environment Agency comments on development proposals that could potentially impact main rivers in Romford. They make sure that where possible developments comply with the Water Framework Directive as embedded within the river basin management plan. This ensures that they secure benefits for biodiversity and river geomorphology.