To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he has taken towards achieving good (a) ecological and (b) chemical status in water bodies within Gorton and Denton constituency.

In his first week, the Secretary of State announced a series of initial steps, which will improve environmental management and protections, also introducing the Water Act 2025 and launching the Independent Water Commision already producing its interim findings to help restore our rivers, lakes and seas to good health.

Within the Gorton and Denton constituency there are five surface water bodies. The main pressures to achieving good status are urbanisation, sewage discharge, industrial or transport discharge, and physical modification of the channel. Specific chemical pollutants such as mercury, PBDEs and the “forever chemical” PFOS are also key concerns.

In accordance with the Water Framework Directive, all five water bodies have mitigation measures to improve their ecological and chemical status and address specific chemical pollutants.