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A draft National Policy Statement for water resources infrastructure

Today I am laying before parliament a draft national policy statement for water resources infrastructure. This is now subject to an eight week consultation. This will guide planning decisions for water resources infrastructure of national significance, making sure we get the infrastructure we need delivered in a timely manner and to a high standard.

The statement sets out government policy on what is needed to secure resilient water supplies to respond to future challenges including climate change, population growth and to better protect the environment. New water resources infrastructure, including reservoirs and water transfers, is needed alongside reducing demand and conserving water, to provide a plentiful supply of water for future generations.

The statement is accompanied by draft habitats and sustainability reports, on which we are also consulting.

The consultation is available on GOV.UK and will close on 31 January 2019. The relevant period for parliamentary scrutiny of the statement will be from 29 November 2018 to 16 May 2019.