Topical question asked in the House of Commons, by Robert Key (Conservative). It was answered on Thursday, 25 March 2010 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Topical Questions

Question: The five rivers that flow into the Avon basin are being depleted by abstraction. Has the Secretary of State finished reflecting on last year's consultation on the abolition of Crown immunity from water abstraction licensing, particularly as it applies to the Ministry of Defence and its establishments on Salisbury plain?

Answer: I commend the hon. Gentleman for applying continuing pressure on this issue. He is right to do so, because the impact of abstraction can be significant in the beautiful areas that he represents. As he knows, we consulted last summer about implementing the remaining water abstraction provisions of the Water Act 2003, including on the removal of exemptions for Crown bodies. He will be slightly disappointed to hear that we are still considering the responses to the consultation. They are complex, so I am unable to say when abstraction provisions will be introduced, but we are actively considering all the detailed issues.

Secondary information