Cleaning up our rivers remains one of my top priorities, and over the past few weeks, I've been continuing that work both in Parliament and here in Monmouthshire.

On top of measures already introduced, the UK Government will soon introduce a Clean Water Bill, delivering the biggest change to our water industry in a generation. As part of that, I have urged the Government to introduce a Water Protection Zone covering both the English and Welsh sections of the River Wye.

A Water Protection Zone would help strengthen protections for the river by supporting larger riverside buffer zones, reducing soil erosion and ensuring authorities have stronger powers to tackle pollution.

This is something campaigners at Friends of the River Wye have been calling for, and I'll continue pressing Ministers to make it a reality.

Over the coming months, I'll also be meeting more local volunteers and organisations across Monmouthshire to see first-hand the fantastic work they're doing and explore what more I can push for in Parliament to support them.

I also recently joined Friends of the River Wye for Citizen Scientist training, giving me the opportunity to regularly help monitor and test water quality on the river alongside local volunteers.

Alongside protecting our environment, I'm also continuing to work with communities affected by flooding.

I recently brought together residents of Forge Road and Osbaston, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and Monmouthshire County Council, providing a space for residents to discuss their experiences of the recent flooding, what further support they need, and what needs to happen to prevent their houses from flooding again.

Storm Claudia was so ferocious that one resident said that the rescue charity SARA had told them they could not get their boat up Forge Road to rescue them as the force and volume of the water was too great; another resident shared the challenges they have had as they have been out of their house since August 2025 due to a previous flood; another woman shared that the water had come halfway up her stairs.

The good news is that flooded properties will get individual flood protection measures, such as pumps. NRW have also made several other commitments, such as sharing the flood water modelling and doing a site visit with residents.

However, I think this does fall short of what is required and - as I have done in Skenfrith - I will continue to press authorities for further action for the houses and residents who flood all too regularly.