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

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Hayman of Ullock on 5 February (HL14037), whether the work being carried out by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate and the Pharmaceuticals in the Environment group will result in the meeting of the requirement of the Water Frameworks Directive for good ecological and chemical status by 2027.

The Government continues to work towards our obligation to restore water bodies to good ecological status and remains committed to securing continuous improvement for the water environment.

The Government has committed in the White Paper to exploring setting new ambitious overarching targets for the water environment. This would enable consistent national oversight and alignment between government, regional water planning, regulators, the water industry and the private sector to better deliver agreed outcomes while maintaining environmental standards.

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate continues to contribute to its commitments under the Pharmaceuticals in the Environment Roadmap, evidence‑gathering, stakeholder engagement and regulatory review activity relating to fipronil and imidacloprid.