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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of Southern Water on sewage discharges in West Sussex.

Water quality is an absolute priority for me. I have been crystal clear with water companies – including Southern Water – that the current frequency of sewage discharges is unacceptable. We are the first government to set out our expectation that water companies must take steps to significantly reduce storm overflows, and Southern Water has recently received a £90 million fine – the largest on record.