Asked by: Dominic Raab (Conservative - Esher and Walton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Environment Agency shares data on the enforcement of illegal moorings in the non-tidal Thames with her Department; and if her Department will publish that data by local authority area.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency works with partner agencies to improve compliance on the non-tidal Thames, sharing outcomes with local authority areas and stakeholders alike. However, intelligence and ongoing enforcement actions are not shared with the public due to legal privilege and GDPR rules and regulations. More information relating to enforcement on the non-tidal Thames can be viewed on the Non-Tidal River Thames Regulation and Enforcement Plan 2023/2024: Non-Tidal River Thames Regulation and Enforcement Plan 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the plausibility of extracting hydroelectrically-generated power from (a) the River Thames and (b) other major UK rivers.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Hydropower accounts for approximately 2% of total electricity generation in the UK. Much of this deployment is in a small run-of-river projects, which use the natural downward flow of rivers and tend to be relatively expensive.
Studies in Scotland, England and Wales indicate that there is a maximum remaining technical potential of around 1.5GW for small-scale hydro, including in rivers in the UK.
The viable remaining resource is less than 1GW due to economic and environmental constraints. This represents less than 1% of total generation capacity, and cannot therefore be a significant contributor to the UK's future generation plans.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with (a) the Welsh Government, (b) Powys County Council, (c) Thames Water, (d) Seven Trent Water and (e) United Utilities on proposals to redirect water supplies from Llyn Fyrnwy to the South East of England.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As agreed in the Intergovernmental Protocol on Water Resources, Water Supply and Water Quality, Defra and the Welsh Government work together on water resources management.
Water companies in England and Wales have a statutory duty to provide a secure supply of water for customers, efficiently and economically. Statutory water resources management plans show how companies will continue to meet this duty and manage water supply and demand sustainably for at least the next 25 years. In their plans, water companies must consider all options, including demand management and water resources infrastructure. Collaborative regional water resources groups and water companies have been consulting on their draft water resources management plans. This includes United Utilities, Severn Trent Water and Thames Water. Within the draft plans produced by Thames Water, Severn Trent Water and United Utilities, are descriptions of a transfer of water from the reservoir Vyrnwy (Llyn Efyrnwy) through the River Severn and then into the upper part of the River Thames. This is known as the Severn to Thames transfer. Following public consultation, the water companies are now reviewing how they will change their plans. The companies will produce a Statement of Response that will detail whether this transfer will continue. The scheme is also being reviewed through RAPID (Regulators Alliance for Progressing Infrastructure Development).
Ofwat, the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales issued joint water resources planning guidance to water companies, which takes account of policy in England and Wales. They are also statutory consultees on the plans, as relevant. The plans will be referred to the Secretary of State and Welsh Ministers for approval later in the year.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what additional steps her Department plans to take to reduce the risk of flooding in East Yorkshire.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In March 2020, the Government announced a record £5.2 billion investment over six years in flood and coastal erosion schemes to better protect communities across England. An additional funding of £200 million over six years will help over 25 local areas to take forward wider innovative actions that improve their resilience to flooding and coastal erosion. £8 million of the £200 million Flood and Coastal Innovation Programme has been allocated to the four adaptive pathways support work in the Thames and Humber estuaries, the Severn Valley, and Yorkshire to trial and develop ways of planning ahead and making wise investment choices for the decades to come in face of the long-term uncertainties brought by climate change.
The Environment Agency is progressing a wide range of studies, in partnership with other flood risk management authorities and stakeholders, to identify options to further reduce flood risk in the East Yorkshire area, both now and into the future. The outputs will afford a better understanding of the needs, risks and opportunities and shape flood risk management in East Yorkshire and the wider area for decades.
These include the Humber 2100+ study, which is developing an integrated approach to flood risk across the Humber Estuary. Large parts of East Yorkshire, particularly along the north bank of the Humber Estuary, are at risk of tidal flooding – a risk which will only increase with climate change. The Environment Agency and 11 local authorities (including East Riding of Yorkshire Council) are working together and with others to develop the long-term strategic approach for managing tidal flood risk, so safeguarding the future of the Humber area in the face of sea level rise and climate change. Other studies include strategic reviews of flood risk in the upper and middle catchments of the river Hull and in the middle catchment of the river Humber. The Environment Agency is also reviewing its flood models for the River Hull.
Specific to the East Yorkshire parliamentary constituency, much of the land here is predominantly low-lying farmland, drained over hundreds of years and heavily reliant on embankments, land drainage and pumping to manage flood risk. The Environment Agency is working closely with the Rt Hon Member, the Rt Hon Member for Beverley and Holderness, Internal Drainage Boards, landowners and farmers to shape our approach to reducing flood risk.
Asked by: Bambos Charalambous (Labour - Enfield, Southgate)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of water abstraction plans by Thames Water at Teddington.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Teddington Direct River Abstraction is a water recycling scheme considered in Thames Water’s draft Water Resources Management Plan 2024 (dWRMP24) and Water Resources South East’s (WRSE) Regional Plan as a supply option for 2030/31.
The Environment Agency has scrutinised WRSE’s plan and has responded to Thames Water’s dWRMP24. Any scheme developed will have to meet environmental requirements, and where possible enhancements. The scheme will need environmental permits that the Environment Agency regulate, and planning consents where the Environment Agency is a statutory consultee.
The scheme is being developed through the ‘Regulators Alliance for Progressing Infrastructure Delivery’ (RAPID) gated process and has undergone environmental assessment largely meeting the Regulators’ expectations for Gate 2. Risks have been identified in the Gate 2 submission. There is a risk to scheme feasibility if environmental impacts cannot be mitigated. The Environment Agency has asked Thames Water to undertake further investigations and studies to address these risks by 31 August 2023.
Asked by: Abena Oppong-Asare (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to clean the banks of the river Thames from plastics and other waste.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The riparian owner is usually responsible for clearing watercourses and waterside land and they will be best placed to understand how to tackle local issues such as littering. The statutory Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse sets out the standards of cleaning that litter authorities are expected to be able to achieve on waterside land.
We have been proud to support and endorse national clean-up initiatives such as the Great British Spring Clean, and the Great British Beach Clean, and we will continue to use our influence to encourage as many people and businesses as possible to participate in these types of events again.
Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have for the Thames Freeport project to give preference to freight transport of spoil and building materials via the river between the three sites at Dagenham, Tilbury Dock and London Gateway; and what plans they have to ensure permanently improved waterway links from those sites.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The Thames Freeport has significant opportunities to move freight (including e-commerce), waste, goods and spoil in and out of central London by the river - from the deep-sea terminals in the East to the population centre and industrial base in the West. The greater use of the tidal Thames for moving materials and goods in and out of central London will help reduce congestion, air pollution and emissions. Work is underway to develop and scale up pilot projects, with the Thames Freeport playing a key role.
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, what assessment his Department has made of the implication for his polices of Thames Water’s proposal to convey millions of litres of treated wastewater into the River Thames at Teddington Weir, including (a) potential health implications, (b) impact on biodiversity and (c) safeguards to protect water quality.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) has reviewed work undertaken by Thames Water to understand the risks and mitigation required for a Teddington Direct River Abstraction (DRA) scheme through the Regulators’ Alliance for Progressing Infrastructure Development (RAPID) gated process to ensure it meets stringent environmental standards. The EA is currently reviewing any proposals for new water resources options through the statutory Water Resources Management Plan consultation and more detailed assessment of Teddington DRA through the RAPID gated process.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to improve water quality in the River Brent.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Government is committed to improving water quality. In August 2022 we published our £56 billion plan to reduce sewage discharges. To tackle agricultural pollution, in November we launched a grant scheme to improve slurry storage on farms, alongside the £17 million expansion of our Catchment Sensitive Farming programme. In December we announced our ambitious suite of legally binding Environment Act targets including four targets to address pressures on the water environment and published the updated River Basin Plans which target specific action to improve all of our rivers and catchments, including the Brent, were published.
The Environment Agency (EA) is working closely with partners in the Brent Catchment Partnership and Thames Water to deliver river improvement projects throughout the catchment. This includes both work to assess the impact Combined Sewer Overflow discharges have on the water quality of the River Brent and the restoration of overly modified sections of the Brent and its tributaries to allow for a more natural flow regime, flood performance benefits, and biodiversity enhancements.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the water sources within the Colne Valley are now designated as having a poor chemical status because of the deterioration of the Blackford source; and on what date this designation changed.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Colne (confluence with the Chess to Thames) water body's chemical status deteriorated from Good in 2016, to Fail in 2019. This was due to the incorporation in the testing regime of two priority hazardous substances which were not previously classified. These are Perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) and Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) which were classified as 'Fail' in 2019, resulting in the water body chemical status change. The chemical status change is not linked to the status of the Blackford Pumping Station.
The 2019 river classification for chemicals reflected a change in the methods used to classify English water bodies to more accurately report the presence of certain chemicals that do not break down easily in the environment. The Environment Agency is working with a range of partners in England to reduce inputs at source and to better understand the impact on the environment from highly persistent chemicals.