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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential effects of ending the one-out-all-out rule for rivers for (a) ecosystems and wildlife and (b) people who use rivers for leisure purposes.

We have not made such an assessment as there are no plans to end the one-out-all-out principle which forms part of the current regulatory framework. However, we are willing to consider further methods to overcome any shortcomings associated with using only one composite assessment in our work on improving the water environment.