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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) help reduce pollution levels in England's chalk streams and (b) to monitor the effectiveness of these steps.

The Government is committed to the protection and restoration of our cherished chalk streams. We have taken immediate action to clean up our waterways, including a new Water (Special Measures) Act which will bring criminal charges against those who persistently break the law. In October last year we launched an independent commission into the water sector regulatory system to deliver transformative change to the water system.

We are investing in initiatives to improve chalk streams including 45 projects in 24/25 through the Water Environment Improvement Fund. As part of the Water Resources Chalk Partnership Fund, in 24/25 the Government will contribute £1 million for chalk stream projects with partners on 30 projects, aimed at safeguarding these rare and irreplaceable habitats.