Degraded Chalk Stream Environments

Part of Petition - Shelton Road Planning Application – in the House of Commons at 7:47 pm on 22 July 2019.

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Photo of Charles Walker Charles Walker Chair, Procedure Committee, Chair, Procedure Committee 7:47, 22 July 2019

My right hon. and learned Friend is such an honest and decent man. He could have misled the House that there were seven chalk streams in his area, but he has corrected the record without being summoned back—in fact there are eight.

Let us now get to the serious part of this debate, because this is a very serious matter that causes a great many colleagues on both sides of the House a huge amount of concern. The Colne; the Beane; the Mimram; the Gade; the Ver; the Chess; the Misbourne; the Wye; the Rib; the Hamble; the Bulbourne; the Quin; the Hogsmill; and the Wandle. The list could go on, but these are all chalk stream rivers that are degraded or dying around my constituency in Hertfordshire and the constituency of my right hon. Friend Dame Cheryl Gillan in Buckinghamshire. This country has over 85% of the world’s chalk streams, and these streams are a unique habitat.