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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
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| Parts of England officially facing drought conditions | Parts of England officially facing drought conditions |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Parts of England are officially in a drought following the dry spring, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has said. | Parts of England are officially in a drought following the dry spring, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has said. |
| Areas of East Anglia are in drought, with parts of the Midlands, south-west and south-east of England in a "near-drought" state. | Areas of East Anglia are in drought, with parts of the Midlands, south-west and south-east of England in a "near-drought" state. |
| In the drought-affected areas, Anglian Water and Cambridge Water say there is no threat to public water supplies. | In the drought-affected areas, Anglian Water and Cambridge Water say there is no threat to public water supplies. |
| But Severn Trent Water says there may be restrictions if rainfall stays low. | But Severn Trent Water says there may be restrictions if rainfall stays low. |
| And Thames Water, which serves London and the Thames Valley, has reassured its customers that hosepipe bans are unlikely this year. | And Thames Water, which serves London and the Thames Valley, has reassured its customers that hosepipe bans are unlikely this year. |
| Both the south-east and central-southern regions of England have had their driest spring on record. | Both the south-east and central-southern regions of England have had their driest spring on record. |
| Across England and Wales as a whole it has been the driest spring since 1990, prompting the href="http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/drought/31755.aspx" >Environment Agency to issue advice on how best to reduce water use. | |
| But not all areas of the UK have suffered from the dry weather. Scotland has seen three times the average amount of rain this spring. | |
| Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman is set to hold a second drought summit to review the impacts of the continuing dry weather. | Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman is set to hold a second drought summit to review the impacts of the continuing dry weather. |
| She said: "Water companies are confident that supplies are high enough so that widespread restrictions to the public are unlikely. We're doing all we can to reduce the impact on agriculture and wildlife, but everyone can play their part. | She said: "Water companies are confident that supplies are high enough so that widespread restrictions to the public are unlikely. We're doing all we can to reduce the impact on agriculture and wildlife, but everyone can play their part. |
| "Households know how to use less water and everyone can do their bit to use water more wisely, not only through the summer, but throughout the year." | "Households know how to use less water and everyone can do their bit to use water more wisely, not only through the summer, but throughout the year." |
| Low levels of water are causing considerable problems for farmers, with crop yields being hit. | |
| In parts of the Fens, some farmers and growers have volunteered to irrigate only at night to reduce evaporation, and co-operatives have formed to share limited amounts of water available. | |
| Ahead of talks with the government later, Peter Kendall, president of the National Farmers Union, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme there was a need to look at long-term solutions such as having enough reservoirs and "computer-controlled drip feed irrigation". | Ahead of talks with the government later, Peter Kendall, president of the National Farmers Union, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme there was a need to look at long-term solutions such as having enough reservoirs and "computer-controlled drip feed irrigation". |
| Mr Kendall said there would be calls for an approach in which authorities "talk to farmers in advance" and "don't just turn the tap right off" to "allow farmers to eke out supplies". | |
| He said: "It would be crazy if you have a big investment and you say 'no water from now on'. | He said: "It would be crazy if you have a big investment and you say 'no water from now on'. |
| "We would much rather say, 'Actually, it's getting low, you can have 30% or 40% of your water.' | "We would much rather say, 'Actually, it's getting low, you can have 30% or 40% of your water.' |
| "That's the sort of initiative we need and then we need to look longer term at how we can plan to become more resilient." | "That's the sort of initiative we need and then we need to look longer term at how we can plan to become more resilient." |
| The NFU president urged ministers to "keep talking to the farmers" and "make sure we make food production a priority". | The NFU president urged ministers to "keep talking to the farmers" and "make sure we make food production a priority". |
| Craig Bennett, of environmental campaign group Friends of the Earth, said most water companies had "dramatically improved their efforts to reduce leakage", despite the failure of a few to meet their targets. | Craig Bennett, of environmental campaign group Friends of the Earth, said most water companies had "dramatically improved their efforts to reduce leakage", despite the failure of a few to meet their targets. |
| 'Strategic' response | 'Strategic' response |
| But he was critical of the overall approach taken by successive governments. | |
| He said: "Although water companies generally have upped their game, government has completely failed to up its game. We have seen successive governments fail to address this issue properly." | He said: "Although water companies generally have upped their game, government has completely failed to up its game. We have seen successive governments fail to address this issue properly." |
| "Mr Bennett went on: "We see precious little action by successive governments in between floods and droughts to put long term measures in places and have a strategic response to this." | "Mr Bennett went on: "We see precious little action by successive governments in between floods and droughts to put long term measures in places and have a strategic response to this." |
| He called on the government to use planning regimes to make sure infrastructure was built in a way that did not put more demand on water resources. | He called on the government to use planning regimes to make sure infrastructure was built in a way that did not put more demand on water resources. |
| For example, he said housing developments were being built where there was already "extreme pressure on water resources". | For example, he said housing developments were being built where there was already "extreme pressure on water resources". |
| The Environment Agency said the specific areas of the Anglian region suffering from a drought were Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, parts of Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire and western Norfolk. | The Environment Agency said the specific areas of the Anglian region suffering from a drought were Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, parts of Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire and western Norfolk. |
| Have you been affected by the drought conditions? Are you a farmer? Are you taking measures to conserve water? Send us your comments using the form below. | Have you been affected by the drought conditions? Are you a farmer? Are you taking measures to conserve water? Send us your comments using the form below. |