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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of sewage discharge into (a) rivers and (b) coastal waters on public health in West Dorset constituency.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) South West regional team provides specialist advice and guidance on a range of public health threats to system partners across the South West region. This informs risk and needs assessments and includes routine surveillance to detect and manage exceedances of Gastro-Intestinal illnesses across the South West.

As part of the historic £10 billion of investment by water companies on storm overflow improvements in Asset Management Period 8 (2025-2030), in the West Dorset Constituency, Wessex Water plan to investigate 30 frequently spilling overflows and improve a further 18. The upcoming Progress Report on the Storm Overflow Discharge Reduction Plan (SODRP), scheduled for publication later this year, will include assessment of Wessex Water’s progress toward the Human Health (bathing water) target. This target requires water companies to improve all storm overflows affecting designated bathing water sites by 2035, reducing sewage-related risks to human health.

The UK and Welsh Governments have launched an Independent Water Commission, chaired by Sir Jon Cunliffe, to recommend reforms to reset the water sector and ultimately serve both customers and the environment. His Interim Report was published on 03 June 2025; the report's findings can be found at Independent Water Commission publishes interim findings - GOV.UK. The final report and recommendations will be published later in the summer. These recommendations are expected to form the basis of further legislation to attract long-term investment and clean up our waters for good.