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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the statement to the House by his predecessor on 6 September 2022 that removing storm overflows altogether from the sewage system would cost up to £600 billion, Official Report, Column 118, if he will publish a breakdown of those costs.

The Storm Overflows Evidence Project (SOEP) published in November 2021 shows that eliminating all discharges could cost up to £600 billion. This could increase household bills between £569 and £999 per year and is also highly disruptive and complex to deliver nationwide. This is also referenced in the storm overflows discharge reduction plan impact assessment.

A breakdown of these costs can be found in SOEP here: Storm overflows discharge reduction plan - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).