DRAFT NATIONAL POLICY STATEMENT ON WASTE WATER

That this House notes the publication by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs of the draft National Policy Statement on waste water; recognises the need to construct new infrastructure to manage the increasing volume of waste water; further recognises the particular needs in the River Thames area due to population growth and to meet EU environmental standards; further notes the provisions of the Planning Act 2008 and the role of the National Policy Statement as a valuable framework in which to consider new large-scale projects; welcomes the Fourth Report from the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee on the draft National Policy Statementon Waste Water and in particular its recommendation that site-specific sections (the Thames Tunnel and Deephams Sewage works) of the statement should be removed so that the National Policy Statement can focus wholly on providing clear generic criteria applicable to all nationally significant infrastructure projects; and calls on the Government, in line with the recommendation of the Select Committee, to ensure that the National Policy Statement be subject to a debate on the floor of the House of Commons on an amendable motion prior to designation.