Position on the Environment Bill

Many constituents have contacted me about the Environment Bill. As Defra Secretary of State, I developed our 25 year Environment Plan, and am passionately committed to protecting and improving our environment.

Many of my constituents have raised their concerns about the recent vote against Amendment 45 of the Environment Bill. I did not support the amendment, but I can assure you that I am determined to improve our waterways and storm overflow management in every sensible way. The accusations of some that voting against Amendment 45 is somehow voting ‘in favour of sewage in our waterways’ is simply untrue. Thank you for the opportunity to explain this important piece of legislation.

Provisions in the Environment Bill will deliver substantial reductions in the harm caused by storm overflows. Further, the Bill already places a duty on water companies to produce drainage and sewerage management plans, highlighting how they will manage and improve their drainage and sewerage systems.

The Environment Bill will put environmental ambition and accountability at the very heart of government, enhancing the commitment to leave the natural world in a better condition, and creating a new environment body to ensure it succeeds.

I voted against the amendment made by the Lords, because the Bill already includes:

- a duty on the Government to produce a plan to reduce discharges from overflows and the harm that this causes by September 2022;

- a duty on water companies to publish timely information on overflows as they happen;

- a duty on water companies to continuously monitor the water quality of a storm overflow and of sewage disposal works;

- a duty on water companies to produce comprehensive statutory drainage and sewerage plans setting out how the company will manage and develop its drainage and sewerage system over a minimum of 25 years.

Between 2020 and 2025, water companies will invest £7.1 billion on environmental improvements in England.

Regarding water quality, over 3,000 hectares of new woodland are set to be planted along England’s rivers and watercourses. Planting trees on and around riverbanks, or allowing them to grow naturally, can help to improve water quality by reducing run-off of pollutants into rivers.

Improving water quality is a priority for the Government, and I hope the information above is able to clarify my position on this.