Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 74
74
Not Addressed
Paragraph: 370
Responsibility for improving water quality in rivers cannot be laid solely at the door of...
Recommendation
Responsibility for improving water quality in rivers cannot be laid solely at the door of the water industry. The project to restore all rivers in England to good health will require the engagement and collaboration of a wide range of stakeholders—from farmers to local authorities, and from product manufacturers to food outlets. At the riverside, it will require concerted action from a range of stakeholders collaborating across each catchment, including farmers, the water industry, housing developers, local authorities and citizen groups. The Catchment Based Approach partnerships provide a useful forum for this coordination: we consider that Ministers should examine means to increase the funding and resources available to them so as to achieve more effective coordination of all stakeholders across each river catchment in measures to improve water quality.
Government response summary AI-generated
The government welcomes the report, outlines its broader priorities and existing actions for water quality improvement, and commits to a comprehensive approach in the 25 Year Environment Plan update in January 2023, but does not address the specific recommendation to examine increased funding for Catchment Based Approach partnerships.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
370
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government · verbatim extract
Not Addressed
Through the Comprehensive Spending Review in November 2021 and subsequent budget determination process, Defra has reviewed the Environment Agency’s Grant-in-Aid water quality budget. Defra has maintained Grant-in-Aid funding for catchment partnerships and will continue to evaluate funding sources to enable coordination of all stakeholders across river catchments. The main strength of Catchment Based Approach (CaBA) Partnerships is their ‘convening power’, working through consensus and building social capital to deliver environmental improvements. CaBA funding reaches beyond Government support and this is part of its success. Because of the variety of stakeholders and interests represented, Catchment Partnerships attract a range of funds, multiplying the core monies they receive from Government. For every £1 of Defra investment has received, CaBA catchment partnerships have raised £2.20 from non-Government sources for local place-based implementation. Environment Agency support for CaBA ensures that its Government funding is nationally coordinated and locally implemented through its collaborative, partner led ‘Environment Programme’. This delivery mechanism helps to secure external funding through CaBA with support from EA’s dedicated national network of catchment coordinators.
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