At the Department for Food, Environment, and Rural Affairs questions in Parliament, James pressed ministers to take further action to protect and enhance chalk streams in North West Norfolk and across the country.
England is home to 85% of the world's chalk streams and North West Norfolk is blessed with a number that we have a special responsibility to protect and enhance including the Nar, Burn, Heacham, Ingol, Babingley, and Gaywood.
James highlighted that last year, water companies discharged sewage into precious chalk streams and rivers across the country 200,000 times. He welcomed the government's efforts to tackle this unacceptable level and pressed for the Environment Agency to take more enforcement action so discharges only happen in exceptional circumstances and to ensure that the new powers in the Environment Bill will be used to set tough legally-binding targets on water companies.
