To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions his Department has had on water supply infrastructure to Peterborough with (a) the Department of Communities and Local Government, (b) Anglian Water and (c) Rutland county council; and if he will make a statement. (145384)

I had a meeting with Anglian Water in December 2006 at which the company briefed me on its operations and gave me its views on a number of contemporary water policy matters. Improvements to resilience of supply, including to Peterborough, were among the many issues raised by the company but no discussion took place on specific infrastructure developments. Any such discussion would have been inappropriate since proposed infrastructure projects could come before Ministers for decision on appeal against refusal of planning permission. For that reason, my Department has had no other discussions with these or any other bodies specifically about water supply infrastructure serving Peterborough.