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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the reasons for the biobeads spill in Sussex.

The Environment Agency (EA) has a dedicated investigations team to establish cause, pathway and impact on the environment of this pollution event. As a live investigation, I am unable to publicly share details that may harm the credibility of any case which the EA may later bring to the courts. But I can tell you that EA officers have been working with all local partners on the initial and long term clean up strategy and have gathered the necessary evidence from impacted areas. I note that Southern Water Services have publicly stated that inspections at their Eastbourne works have found a damaged filter screen.