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 accelerate the construction timeline of the nine proposed major reservoirs in England, and whether she plans to bring forward their expected completion dates prior to the mid-2030s to mitigate drought risks.

The Government is driving delivery programme coordination, through the Water Delivery Taskforce, which was established to ensure water companies follow through on their planned investments and provide the water and wastewater capacity communities need. The Taskforce brings together the Environment Agency, Natural England, and other government departments to co-ordinate the programme delivery of the new reservoirs and ensure increased water supply is available to avoid shortfalls.

The Planning and Infrastructure Act, passed in 2025, contains measures to streamline the DCO process and reform compulsory purchase to make delivery faster and cheaper, subject to examination and full planning considerations.