The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: January 2027. Defra is glad the committee recognises the progress regulators have made to better support farms into compliance, for example the expansion of the Environment Agency's advice-led approach and improved guidance. To go further, Defra is also working with the Department of Business and Trade and Government Digital Service to review how farmers access regulatory guidance, including the effectiveness of existing signposting and the potential role of digital tools to support navigation. The Department will conclude the internal review and develop a delivery plan in January 2027. Defra has committed to consolidating complex agricultural water pollution regulations into a single set of clear, effective and strengthened national standards to improve water quality and protect air and soil quality. Defra will publish the Farming Roadmap this year to set out a long-term direction for farming, including how government expects regulation to evolve over time and how Defra will support the farming sectors to transition to more sustainable, productive and profitable practices. Defra is creating a new, integrated water regulator by bringing together the relevant functions from the existing regulators (of Ofwat, the DWI, the Environment Agency and Natural England) into one new body. This will replace the current fragmented system with a single regulator holding robust powers to oversee water companies and sectors affecting the water environment, enabling more integrated regulation of pressures on water quality and resources. Until the new regulator is legally established, existing bodies will continue to carry out their duties while working more closely together to streamline requirements, reduce duplication and support a “one organisation” approach to ease the burden on customers, including farmers. Further details will be published in due course. The regulator will be legally established as soon as possible following the passage of a Water Reform Bill. Defra will also make leadership appointments to support the transition; this has begun with the appointment of a Senior Adviser, Dame Julia Black, in April 2026.