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 improve water quality at beaches in North Cornwall constituency.

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 EA increased inspections in 2024-25 and will more than double these in 2025-2026. This includes water company assets in North Cornwall constituency. It will also attend more incidents.

The EA has numerous charges relating to sewage discharges onto Cornish beaches waiting to come to court. Th EA’s duty is to hold those suspected of harming the environment to account so it will proceed with legal action.

The EA has also increased the number of farm inspections they are able to deliver. In Devon and Cornwall, dedicated farm inspection officers are currently inspecting farms and undertaking enforcement action in the highest priority catchments, including the Camel.