Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on the abstraction of water from chalk streams on Ministry of Defence land. [77221]

Richard Benyon MP; Minister of State: In 2009 DEFRA consulted on the abstraction provisions of the Water Act 2003 and the Environment Act 1995 with the aim of removing certain exemptions from abstraction licence control. These provisions included requiring Crown bodies to be subject to the same licensing provisions as non-Crown bodies. The Ministry of Defence and a representative from project Aquatrine, the Ministry of Defence's water and wastewater operation and maintenance public-private partnership, responded to the consultation.

We intend to end all abstraction exemptions, other than those that pose little risk to the environment. We are currently reviewing the consultation responses and the concerns raised.