Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether he has had recent discussions with the Welsh Government on (a) phosphate pollution in waters in Wales and (b) what steps that government will take to stop pollution travelling downstream into England.

River pollution is the responsibility of Defra and their Arms-Length Body the Environment Agency (EA) in England. Defra is committed to improving the water environment and will continue to work with the EA and Natural Resources Wales (NRW) to ensure there is a coordinated response to the management of cross-border watercourses.

The EA and NRW have good working relationships, thereby ensuring consistency and joint working across the border. Both organisations are continuously improving the way they work together to increase effectiveness. Some activities that are currently being improved are the consistency of monitoring and data analysis. This will ensure both bodies have a strong evidence base from which to make decisions.

Examples of this close working relationship include the publication of the River Dee Basin Management Plan – which covers areas in England – by NRW and the development of the River Basin Management Plan for the River Severn – which also includes the Wye Catchment – which will be published by the EA later this year.

Defra understand that the build-up of phosphates in the Wye catchment from the overuse of fertilisers and animal manure will take time to reduce due to its dependence on natural processes. However, work is under way to accelerate reductions in phosphate pollution from wastewater treatment in the River Wye through catchment partnerships, such as the Nutrient Management Board.

The EA believes the Nutrient Management Board remains the right mechanism and collective group to drive action in the Wye catchment. It is working with the Nutrient Management Board members, such as Natural England, NRW, Herefordshire Council and Powys Council, on improving the effectiveness of the Nutrient Management Board because all parties agree there needs to be more action to improve the River Wye’s water quality. Some of the improvements have been seen at the March 2022 Board meeting, and some are ongoing and will take a little longer to embed.

Regarding the effectiveness of NRW, I have recently written to Julie James MS, the Welsh Government Minister responsible for NRW to ask her about the speed of its energy consents.