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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the (a) suitability and (b) sustainability of water resources in Nottinghamshire in preventing regional water shortages.

The Environment Agency (EA) continually assesses water availability and manages abstraction licences to balance the needs of people, industry and the environment. Recognising the long-term impacts of climate change, it supports a national strategy to improve future water resilience, including for Nottinghamshire. The EA restricts abstraction during dry periods to protect the environment, works with abstractors to understand future demand, and supports resilience projects such as new reservoirs. It also reviews water companies’ long-term plans to ensure they can meet future needs and adapt to climate change, population growth and increasing pressure on water resources.