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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many people or companies which have polluted English watercourses have done so on (a) two, (b) three, (c) four and (d) more than four occasions since these incidents have been recorded.

The Environment Agency has been able to identify the responsible party in 76,265 pollution incidents where there has been an impact to water since 2001.

Of the 31,048 different parties recorded there are:

a) 4,066 (instances where a party has been responsible for 2 incidents)

b) 1,467 (instances where a party has been responsible for 3 incidents)

c) 1,060 (instances where a party has been responsible for 4 incidents)

d) 503 (instances where a party has been responsible for >4 incidents)