Helen Maguire MP: written questions
4 Jul 2024–3 Jul 2025
How these years work
Our reporting years run from 4 July to 3 July, starting with the 2024 general election. They are not official parliamentary sessions. Office costs keep IPSA’s April–March financial years. Records may cover only part of a year; a missing record does not mean no work was done.
Read what this MP said, asked and contributed in Parliament.
28 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Rivers: Environment ProtectionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 1 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 64287More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support is available to local environmental groups undertaking citizen science river testing.
Answer: The Environment Agency (EA) recognises the value of citizen science data, and the additional insight it can provide to complement its monitoring and assessment work. With Spending Review funding, the EA is collaborating with citizen science groups in obse...
Answered 8 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordSewersDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 23 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62055More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support local authorities in improving surface water drainage to prevent overloading of combined sewer systems.
Answer: The Government is strongly committed to improving the implementation of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) and ensuring adoption and maintenance arrangements. New national standards make clear that SuDS should be designed to cope with changing climatic c...
Answered 30 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordThames Water: NationalisationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 19 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 61413More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of nationalising Thames Water.
Answer: The Government has no plans to nationalise Thames Water or any other water company. It would cost billions of pounds and take years to unpick the current ownership model, slowing down our reforms and only worsening sewage pollution. However, this Governme...
Answered 24 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordRivers: South EastDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 19 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 61411More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support chalk stream restoration in (a) Hogsmill River and (b) the rest of the South East.
Answer: The Environment Agency (EA) is working with the Chalk Stream Restoration Group, and other partners, to protect and restore chalk streams across the South East. For example, it is ensuring that water companies have ambitious but affordable programmes that ...
Answered 24 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordWater Companies: InsolvencyDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 9 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 58518More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with Ofwat on (a) the financial viability of water companies and (b) protections for consumers in the event of insolvency.
Answer: Ofwat is an independent regulator that monitors the financial position of water companies, taking action when companies need to strengthen their long-term financial resilience. For example, in March 2023, Ofwat utilised powers provided by the Environment ...
Answered 17 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordRivers: SurreyDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 9 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 58517More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of sewage spills on biodiversity in rivers in Surrey.
Answer: For too long, water companies have discharged unacceptable levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas. The Environment Agency assesses all reported sewage spills, considering impacts on water quality and ecology. For significant incidents, it may ca...
Answered 16 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordWater Companies: PollutionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 57154More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of Ofwat’s regulatory powers to hold water companies to account for repeated pollution incidents.
Answer: The Government remains clear that regulators must be empowered to hold water companies to account, which is why the Water Special Measures Act delivers on our commitment to put water companies under special measures by strengthening regulation to clean up...
Answered 10 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordThames Water: FinesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 57149More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to take steps to ensure that fines levied against Thames Water are used to fund environmental restoration projects on (a) Hogsmill River, (b) River Mole an
Answer: The Water Restoration Fund, which launched in April 2024, is reinvesting funding based on water company environmental fines and penalties into projects to improve the water environment. Funding is based on water company fines and penalties from April 2022...
Answered 11 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordWater Treatment: Environment ProtectionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 20 May 2025AnsweredUIN 53784More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to require the Environment Agency to revise environmental permits to enforce compliance with the Urban Waste Water Treatment Regulations 1994.
Answer: The Environment Agency (EA) enforces the Urban Waste Water Treatment Regulations (UWWTR) through environmental permits. These set discharge limits, nutrient removal standards, and monitoring and reporting requirements, based on population size and receivi...
Answered 2 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordMicroplastics: Pollution ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 20 May 2025AnsweredUIN 53783More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to reduce microplastic pollution from combined sewer outflows.
Answer: Tackling marine litter and plastic pollution is a priority for the UK Government, which is why we are working domestically and internationally to implement measures that will prevent macro-sized plastic litter which are sources of microplastics from reach...
Answered 23 May 2025
Original Parliament recordRivers: SewageDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 12 May 2025AnsweredUIN 51751More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of untreated sewage overflows on levels of (a) microplastic, (b) nano plastic and (c) macro plastic pollution in rivers.
Answer: Tackling marine litter and plastic pollution is a priority for the UK Government, which is why we are working domestically and internationally to implement measures that will prevent plastic and other litter from reaching rivers and ocean in the first pla...
Answered 21 May 2025
Original Parliament recordWater Charges: Environment ProtectionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50801More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of consumer protections for billpayers of water services where the agreed environmental standards have not been met.
Answer: This Government is strengthening consumer protections by bringing forward secondary legislation to introduce new and increased compensation - double the previous amounts or more - which will be compulsory for water companies to pay customers for poor serv...
Answered 12 May 2025
Original Parliament recordGamekeepersDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48815More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of making employers of gamekeepers vicariously liable for their actions.
Answer: The introduction of new regulation, such as vicarious liability, requires evidence that it will be effective. Vicarious liability occurs where one person can be held liable for the actions of another person. With regards to gamekeepers, this could mean a ...
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordEutrophication: Inland WaterwaysDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 25 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48334More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to prevent eutrophication in waterways.
Answer: Eutrophication from excess nutrient pollution is a key pressure affecting our rivers, lakes, and seas. As part of Price Review 24 final determinations, Ofwat has allowed £4.795 billion of investment to improve water quality by reducing phosphorus pollutio...
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordRiver Thames: SewageDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42990More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will hold discussions with Thames Water on the adequacy of the time it takes to stop sewage overflows.
Answer: My officials and I have regular conversations with Thames Water and other water companies to discuss a range of activities, including the reduction of sewage discharges. I am also meeting with the boards of all water companies, including Thames Water, to ...
Answered 3 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordThames Water: FinanceDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 24 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40948More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with Thames Water on the use of their emergency loan.
Answer: The Government and Ofwat – the financial regulator for the water sector – are carefully monitoring the situation, and Ofwat is working closely with the company to strengthen their long-term financial resilience within the context of its license and broade...
Answered 27 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordRecycling: Public HousesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 24 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40943More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that pubs are not charged twice for recycling glass bottles under Extended Producer Responsibility rules.
Answer: Packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (pEPR) obligates brands and packaging producers to pay the costs of managing household packaging waste. In most cases, this will not be individual pubs but the business supplying the pub with packaged goods. It i...
Answered 1 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordSewage: Epsom and EwellDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 4 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35582More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of environmental contamination caused by sewage discharges by water companies in Epsom and Ewell constituency
Answer: For too long, water companies have discharged unacceptable levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas. That is why we are placing water companies under special measures through the Water (Special Measures) Act. The Act will drive meaningful improvem...
Answered 24 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordThames Water: FinanceDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 24 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33338More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has put a contingency plan in place in the event that Thames Water becomes financially unsustainable.
Answer: The Government and Ofwat – the financial regulator for the water sector – are carefully monitoring the situation with Thames Water, and Ofwat continues to engage with Thames Water to support it in improving its resilience within the context of its licence...
Answered 4 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordCommunity Assets: FloodsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 10 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30423More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of flooding on (a) football pitches and (b) other local community assets; and if he will ensure that water companies com
Answer: Protecting communities around the country from flooding is one of the Secretary of State’s five core priorities. As part of the Government’s Plan for Change, a record £2.65 billion will be invested over two years in better protecting 52,000 properties by ...
Answered 24 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordWater Treatment: StandardsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28285More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to tackle underperforming wastewater treatment plants.
Answer: The Government has taken immediate and substantial action to address the performance of water companies who are not delivering for the environment or their customers. The Water (Special Measures) Bill will provide the most significant increase in enforcem...
Answered 14 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordThames WaterDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 27 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 26664More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with Thames Water on its financial viability.
Answer: Since July the Defra Secretary of State has met with water company Chief Executives and chairs, including Thames Water.
Answered 3 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordNutrition: Low IncomesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 13 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23691More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to make healthy food options affordable to low-income families.
Answer: The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone has access to nutritious, affordable food. The Government’s recently launched Food Strategy will ensure that access to healthy food is affordable and accessible to all. The Government has also committe...
Answered 20 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordSewage: Waste DisposalDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 13 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23690More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with water companies on upgrading infrastructure to ensure the sewage system can accommodate heavy rainfall without overflowing sewage into wate
Answer: For too long, water companies have discharged record levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas. That is why we are placing water companies under special measures through the Water (Special Measures) Bill, which will strengthen regulation, including...
Answered 28 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordInland Waterways: Environment ProtectionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 21105More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with Ofwat on the enforcement of existing laws to protect waterways.
Answer: Ofwat regularly meet with Defra, other Government departments and regulators to discuss enforcement policy and activities. As part of their investigation into all water companies, earlier this year Ofwat proposed fines of £168 million for three companies ...
Answered 16 Jan 2025
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4 Jul 2024–3 Jul 2025. One record per UIN and tabled date; the named department is not a measure of answer quality.
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