Speeches by Hardy.

“Thank you for writing to me about this issue. I just want to recognise that I completely understand the fear people have: once you have been flooded I do not think you ever get over it, so I understand why it is a worry in your constituency. Speaking more generally—rather than about your specific case—I know that the E…”

“I can obviously speak to everything relating to water on your questions. Looking at the horrendous time farmers have with floods, we have the NFU on the Floods Resilience Taskforce looking at water pollution, and I really want farmers to feel like we are doing this with them. I know that there is willingness across the…”

“My role would be looking at how we have a more resilient water system as a whole. As I say, that involves making sure that farmers have the water they need at the time they need it, so that is where I am seeing my role with this. You are right to point out that at the moment it has not been working. I know there are tr…”

“We will respond formally but you take it on the chin and realise you have to work harder and do more, and that is exactly what we are trying to do. We take the report seriously and will respond formally. As I say, since then we have come out with a research plan and are making sure we have it in the 10-year infrastruct…”

“In terms of the Green Book changes, they have happened so people have to go via the Green Book whenever they are doing anything, and they have to make it climate resilient. So that is done. In terms of the research, that was set up in April this year so it is active and working right now. We are also looking at what ot…”

“Of course the roadmap is being led by the farming Minister but we are going to respond formally to the Climate Change Committee’s report. We will give a formal response to all the points that it has made and the work that it is doing. As we have seen and felt this year and have just been talking about with Sarah, a lac…”

“Yes, of course. As I say, a huge focus is on resilience to the changing climate in terms of water, but one of the most meaningful things is the changes around the Green Book. I know the ears of some people who work for local government prick up whenever you mention the Green Book—other people might not be quite as exci…”

“There are no current plans to open the eligibility around Flood Re. But you are right: it is one of those issues that ends up falling between lots of different people’s responsibilities, so I therefore wonder if a better answer would be for myself and the Ministers from the relevant Departments to sit and have a conver…”

“I would have to talk to my farming colleagues about funding opportunities if that is all right?”

“Are you talking about whether there is funding available generally to make the farms more resilient?”

“I do not want to give you a picture that I am imagining a huge reservoir on farms, more like the examples Jenny has given where they are able to store water more effectively on their farms. I do not want to give the wrong impression.”

“I am happy to go away and look at the examples of where they have been badly monitored and badly enforced and get back to you on those specifics, if that is okay?”

“You are completely and utterly right, and that is part of being more resilient; if you can hold the rainwater when it falls, that makes you more resilient for the drier summers. I know the EA has been piloting some examples around the country, looking at what more it can do to support farmers in helping with that resil…”

“I love it; that sounds super exciting and a perfect example of where we want to be. It is completely about building resilience and everyone becoming more resilient, is it not? I will have to don my wellies and come and visit you.”

“You are absolutely right and as I say, it underpins everything. I am genuinely pleased to still be here because water is so fundamentally important to absolutely everything, and we only realise its fundamental importance when we have had the driest spring since 1893. Water resilience is one of my top priorities and we …”

“Yes, absolutely. There are some things that we are looking at changing. One is around water efficiency of your white goods and things like that, and how we are using water more efficiently than we have in the past. We need water-efficiency labelling as well so that if customers are going to buy a new washing machine, t…”

“When temporary use bans—hosepipe bans—come in, I am really keen to communicate and explain why to the people who are having to abide by them. I am not sure that is always communicated well enough in terms of the huge impact the drought has had on farmers, livestock, nature, chalk streams, fish and so on. When we ask pe…”

“Obviously I was not here in 2022, so I might ask David—who was the official in 2022—to answer that one for me.”

“You are right, it has been an incredible time: the driest spring in England since 1893 and the hottest June on record. As well as talking about this year, with the way the climate is changing I am making the presumption that this is going to be a more regular thing that happens each summer. In terms of the immediate ac…”

“I love Surfers Against Sewage and River Action, and I speak to them frequently. They have done an amazing job raising the issue of sewage pollution in their area. I know they were both keen for nationalisation, but we were straight and upfront in our terms of reference from the very beginning. We did not mislead or lie…”