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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help protect beaches between the mouth of the River Exe and mouth of the River Dart.

The Environment Agency (EA) has recruited two new Water Industry Regulation teams who are increasing regulation of water company sites in Devon, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, undertaking more compliance checks (including unannounced inspections), translating storm overflow monitoring data into regulatory intelligence, and increasing enforcement actions for pollution incidents under the Enforcement and Sanctions policy. Inspection locations are prioritised according to environmental sensitivity, such as sites impacting bathing waters, and where EDM data is showing spills are higher than they should be. The Environment Agency increased inspections in 2024-25 and will more than double these in 2025-2026. This includes water company assets in Newton Abbot constituency. It will also attend more incidents.

The EA has also increased the number of farm inspections they are able to deliver and are helping to support the transition to a more sustainable and healthy farming industry. In Devon and Cornwall, dedicated farm inspection officers are currently inspecting farms and undertaking enforcement action in the highest priority catchments including the River Otter and Exe.