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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to prioritise the development of reservoir capacity in the South West as part of the Government’s water resilience strategy; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of this on (a) households and (b) businesses in Cornwall.

The Government remains committed to a twin track approach to improving water resilience. This involves urgent action to improve water efficiency and reduce water company leaks, alongside investing in new supply infrastructure, including new reservoirs and water transfers.

Water companies have a statutory duty to provide a secure supply of water for customers, efficiently and economically and they have recently set out how they plan to continue to supply water to their household and business customers through statutory Water Resources Management Plans. The Government will work with regulators to ensure the water companies’ plans are delivered.