Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent progress his Department has made on improving water quality in (a) Romford constituency and (b) the London Borough of Havering.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are committed to continue to improving water quality and are delivering the record investment, the stronger regulation and the tougher enforcement to improve our water for our own health, for nature and the economy. For example, on 20 February we announced plans to more than quadruple Environment Agency (EA) water company inspections, strengthening oversight, reducing the reliance on self-monitoring.
The EA is working with Thames Water under the Water industry National Environment Programme’ (WINEP) scheme on improved monitoring for the two wastewater treatment works in Havering that discharge to the River Ingrebourne, and in Brentwood on a scheme to reduce phosphorous.
Thames Water were required to install ‘Event Duration Monitoring’ (EDM) at all storm overflows on their sewerage network before the end of 2023; the two sites requiring EDM in Havering have had these since 2019.
Further schemes are ongoing with Groundwork East to deliver a combined Yellowfish and Junior River Wardens project working with schools along the River Ingrebourne, with potential to expand this scheme to cover the River Rom.
Asked by: Lord Stone of Blackheath (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Douglas-Miller on 14 February (HL1609), what assessment they have made of the adequacy of planned flood protection for Shepperton, Sunbury and Walton-on-Thames under the River Thames Scheme currently going through consultation, given the flooding in 2014 and 2024.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The River Thames Scheme is currently carrying out Statutory consultation on its proposals. The consultation has included public events in Shepperton, Walton and Sunbury where over 1,000 people attended and spoke with members of the project team.
The proposals include building a new channel that will significantly reduce the risk of flooding between Staines and Shepperton. The scheme also includes proposals to increase the capacity of the weirs on the Thames at Teddington, Molesey and Sunbury along with lowering the bed of the Thames near Walton. The weir capacity is being increased as much as possible and this will achieve some reduction in risk downstream of Shepperton along the Thames. The level of risk reduction is different in each location.
The level of flood risk reduction that will be achieved is available for everyone to see as part of the consultation. The results are set out in detail in the Modelling report for the scheme which can be found at: RTS Modelling non-technical summary (see attached).
Asked by: Lord Stone of Blackheath (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the correlation between (1) the release of floodwater from the Jubilee River channel as occurred in 2014 and 2024, and (2) subsequent levels of floodwater and property damage, and the extent to which vulnerable local people were unable to receive social services.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Jubilee Flood Relief Channel is part of the Maidenhead Windsor and Eton Flood Alleviation Scheme (MWEFAS) that reduces the risk of flooding to approximately 3,000 properties in Maidenhead, Windsor and Eton. The Jubilee Flood Relief Channel always has some water flowing through it. In flood conditions, we split some of the water away from the River Thames through the Jubilee. The Jubilee provides extra space for this water before it rejoins the River Thames at Datchet. It is not designed to reduce flood risk to communities upstream or downstream of the scheme. It does not adversely impact communities downstream. We operate weir gates at Taplow to control the amount of water being split into the Jubilee Flood Relief Channel. As the flow in the River Thames increases, we open the gates gradually in small increments to allow water to flow through the channel.
The Environment Agency reviews the performance of their Flood and Coastal Risk Management assets to ensure they continue to perform as designed to protect homes and communities. Following flooding in 2003, river modelling was completed to re-examine any impacts from the Jubilee Flood Relief Channel on downstream communities. The results showed that there would be very little difference in the flows at Windsor, and the downstream water levels, with and without the Jubilee Flood Relief Channel being operated.
In February 2014 over 1000+ properties flooded internally across the Thames area, with the greatest numbers of these of these in the Lower Thames in Berkshire and Surrey. The flooding was very prolonged and lasted from February 2014 through to March, with many communities impacted along the Thames, such as at Datchet, Wraysbury, Egham, Chertsey, Staines and communities further downstream through Surrey. There were no reported properties flooded internally in Windsor in 2014.
In January 2024, Storm Henk resulted in heavy and widespread rainfall falling on saturated ground in a short space of time. There had been flooding in some local areas in December 2023 primarily affecting tributaries of the River Thames. The total volume of flow which passed down the Jubilee flood relief channel appears similar to 2014. The Environment Agency is currently receiving and collating reports on the number of properties that may have been impacted. Current information indicates around 300 properties may have flooded internally across the Thames Area.
Following a significant flood incident, the Environment Agency reviews all areas of incident response including partnership working to understand impacts and actions to better prepare for future events. We are currently undertaking this following the January 2024 flooding.
Our Environment Agency online portal Citizen Space holds a suite of useful information relating to the Jubilee River including videos and fact sheets and can be located under Maidenhead Windsor and Eton Flood Alleviation Scheme.
Asked by: Lord Stone of Blackheath (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the practice of holding flood water in the Jubilee River channel to prevent flooding of properties in Maidenhead, Windsor and Eton; and of its impacts on downstream communities.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Jubilee flood relief channel, forms part of the ‘Maidenhead, Windsor and Eton Flood Alleviation Scheme’ that reduces the risk of flooding to 3,200 properties in Maidenhead, Windsor, Eton and Cookham. Published details on the Jubilee River flood alleviation scheme are available on - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
The flood relief channel is not designed to store or hold flood water. It provides additional capacity for water that would have flowed through and flooded communities in Maidenhead, Windsor and Eton, taking it a different route via the Jubilee flood relief channel, before returning it back into the Thames upstream of Datchet.
Flood modelling for the Maidenhead, Windsor and Eton Flood Alleviation Scheme prior to its construction showed that the scheme would not increase flood risk for others.
After flooding in 2003, independent river modelling was completed to re-examine any impacts from the Jubilee flood relief channel on downstream communities. The results showed that there is very little difference made to water flows at Windsor compared to levels downstream when the channel is operated. The executive summary of the independent modelling was carried out and described in ‘Mechanisms of Flooding’ [attached].
Asked by: Lord Stone of Blackheath (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to update the measures in place to address flooding of the River Thames and to alleviate the damage it causes to so many.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency and other Risk Management Authorities are delivering a programme of flood alleviation measures on the River Thames and its tributaries which are at different stages of consenting and approvals. This includes a major flood alleviation scheme at Oxford, the River Thames Scheme between Egham and Teddington, the Thames Valley Flood Scheme and the Datchet to Hythe End Flood Improvement Measures project, alongside a range of smaller projects. Subject to approvals, these schemes will reduce flood risk and provide wider benefits to tens of thousands of homes and businesses.
In addition to this, the Environment Agency operates its existing assets and carries out river maintenance to ensure the Thames and its tributaries flow effectively. During Storm Henk, these existing measures protected approximately 11,000 properties from flooding throughout the Thames Valley. The Environment Agency and partners regularly engage with communities along the Thames to support and advise them on measures they can take to prepare for and improve their resilience to flooding.
Asked by: Lord Stone of Blackheath (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact of (1) improved water flow at the Sunbury lock weir system, and (2) increased river volume capacity that would arise from dredging of the non-tidal Thames below Eton, upon likely levels of flooding and damage to homes and businesses; and whether the River Thames Scheme will be used to achieve this.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The River Thames Scheme has assessed the impact of increasing the capacity of the weirs on the lower part of the Thames, including at Sunbury. Increasing the capacity of the weir will reduce flood risk in the Sunbury Reach and the capacity will be increased as part of the River Thames Scheme.
The River Thames Scheme will reduce flood risk by creating a flood alleviation channel in two sections, increasing the capacity of three weirs at Sunbury, Molesey and Teddington, and channel deepening on the Thames near Walton. Widespread dredging was considered as one of the options during the appraisal phase of the scheme, but it was found to only have a very modest reduction in flood risk and was not an economically viable option.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
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 officials in his Department have had with representatives of (a) Thames Water and (b) local authorities in west London on Thames Water's proposed planning application for the Teddington direct river abstraction.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Thames Water has a statutory duty to consult with local authorities and water regulators on its Water Resources Management Plan, a long-term strategy for securing water supplies. The plan is further assessed by Government and water regulators before it can be finalised. The Teddington Direct River Abstraction (DRA) is part of this plan, and following robust review, the Secretary of State issued a direction on 22 December 2023 confirming the project is nationally significant.
However, this does not indicate that a Development Consent Order (DCO), which is required before construction can proceed, is more or less likely to be approved. When a DCO application is made, local authorities will have a key role in providing a local perspective on the proposals.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, how many boats were registered to use the River Thames in 2023.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In 2023 the Environment Agency (EA) has issued 12,790 boat registrations for boats used or kept on the non-tidal Thames. The Canal and River Trust (CRT)/EA operate a Gold Licence scheme which allows boaters to use all EA and CRT waterways for a single fee.
The data for figure of CRT/EA Gold licences issued in 2023 will be available in March 2024. As a guide, in 2022, the CRT/EA Gold scheme equated to a further 1,265 registrations for boats on the non-tidal Thames.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to help reduce pollution in (a) the Thames and (b) Beverley Brook.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government published the Plan for Water in April 2023 – our comprehensive strategy for managing our water environment, including our rivers. It brings together the significant steps we have already taken with a suite of new policy actions. It aims to change the way that we manage water, improve water quality, and continue to secure our water supply.
The Plan for Water is underpinned by three main things:
The EA both responds to and investigates serious pollution incidents, such as the extensive work mitigating the impact of a category 1 oil spill in March 2022. There have been no serious (Cat 1&2) pollution incidents on the Beverley Brook since then.
The EA permits discharges to the Beverly Brook to control and improve water quality. There is one large continuous discharge which is treated final effluent from Hogsmill Sewage Treatment Works to increase river flow and prevent it drying up. There are five permitted, combined sewer overflows which discharge storm sewage after heavy rainfall. None of these have significant environmental impact. Other sources of pollution are road run-off and misconnected domestic properties.
The EA works with partners to remove pollution sources entering rivers. ‘Outfall Safaris’ are taking place to assess possible pollution inputs and these are managed by the Zoological Society of London and supported by the EA, South East Rivers Trust, and members of the public. These are investigated by Thames Water and rectified, often aided by the Local Authority. In 2022, three outfall improvements were completed with a further two this year and seven more identified.
Monitoring by the EA over many decades shows that general water quality of the tidal Thames has been improving with increased regulation of sewage treatment. Harm however can still be done to the river by storm sewage discharges after rainfall. The London Tideway Tunnels will begin to receive flow in 2024 capturing the majority of these sewage spills, further protecting our aquatic habitat.
The EA recognises that the performance of the water sector is not where it needs to be, and that robust regulation is a key element of the required improvement. That is why in June 2023, the EA launched its Water Industry Transformation Programme, outlining that it would be transforming the way it regulates the sector, embedding a new approach that targets resource and interventions to uncover non-compliance and drive better performance from the water industry. This includes looking at how incidents are investigated and how they are categorised.
The EA will soon have new powers to deliver civil penalties that are quicker and easier to enforce.
Actions that the EA is taking as the water industry regulator are set out in the annual water company performance report, published 12 July 2023.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when his Department plans to respond to Thames Water's s35 application for its Teddington Direct River Abstraction proposal.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Thames Water have requested that the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs gives a direction under Section 35 of the Planning Act 2008 for the Teddington Direct River Abstraction. The Secretary of State will respond to Thames Water in line with the statutory timeframe required.