Debate on the report from the Industry and Regulators Committee: 'The affluent and the effluent: cleaning up failures in water and sewage regulation' – Lord Hollick.
Rhys ab Owen: ...of the increase in accountability with full devolution of water. What we have at the moment simply isn’t good enough accountability. Who is holding these companies fully to account with regard to sewage, with regard to the polluting of our waterways?
Baroness Quin: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to consider introducing measures to ensure that no new housing developments are permitted in areas where the sewage system is already unable to prevent the discharge of raw sewage into neighbouring rivers.
...made at Report stage and clarifies that the definition of “natural environment” includes chalk streams. Amendment 2 agreed. Clause 173: Nutrient pollution standards to apply to certain sewage disposal works
Alexander Burnett: ...does not promise anything for rural communities. It is clear that the Scottish National Party Government is not doing enough to treat declining salmon numbers, and it is not doing enough to monitor sewage pollution. With rivers such as the Dee and the Don being vital areas for salmon and for conservation, water quality testing and sewage monitoring should be undertaken regularly. In 2022...
Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with representatives of the water industry on reducing the discharge of sewage into (a) rivers, (b) seas and (c) lakes.
Natalie Elphicke: ...area that makes up around half of my constituency, with some 30,000 people. First, there is the water and sewerage system. Part of Deal has an old-style Bazalgette system to deal with its water and sewage, which has contributed to decades-long flooding, particularly around the Albert Road area of Deal. I jointly lead the Deal Water Action Taskforce, having put that taskforce together with...
Rebecca Pow: ...West Somerset, and we must not forget that. On 29 August, I called the CEO of South West Water regarding Harlyn bay, the most beautiful bay in Cornwall, following reports of discharges from storm sewage overflows and reports of increases in sickness among bathers and surfers. The Environment Agency is investigating that. Clearly, action can be taken only if we have the evidence and if...
Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many sewage releases there have been in (a) Sunderland and (b) the Sunderland Central constituency in (i) 2023 and (ii) 2022.
Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she is taking steps to ensure that action is taken by the Environment Agency against water companies when illegal sewage discharges occur.
Rosie Duffield: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that enforcement action is taken against water companies that discharge sewage on dry days.
Baroness Pinnock: ...its annual report. Similarly, as an FoI request from my party has shown, hospitals across the country are facing huge repair costs from chemical leaks and broken fire alarms—in one hospital, raw sewage was in patient areas. In my view, sewage seeping anywhere in a hospital is totally unacceptable. This followed on from a report from November last year that the repair bill for NHS...
Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to work with water companies to explore the management of microplastics in sewage sludge.
Baroness Hayman of Ullock: My Lords, we have had discussions about sewage discharges over a number of years now, including several extensive sessions during the relatively recent passage of the Environment Act 2021. Everybody is clear that, under the law, sewage should be discharged only in exceptional circumstances—everybody it seems but the Government, the arm’s-length bodies their Ministers are responsible for...
Matt Rodda: My constituents have been appalled by accounts of sewage being dumped into the Thames and its tributaries. A recent BBC investigation showed that Thames Water and two other companies had carried out even more dumping than was previously thought. Will the Leader of the House arrange for a debate on this important matter, and can she update me on what action the Government are taking, after...
Baroness Scott of Bybrook: ...amount of additional nutrient discharge attributable to the 100,000 homes between now and 2030. Staying on the OEP, my noble friend Lady McIntosh suggested that the Government broke the law on sewage. We always welcome scrutiny from the OEP, and we are co-operating with it fully to support its work in many areas. The OEP has not concluded that the Government broke the law on combined sewer...
Lord Carrington: ...all look forward to seeing how that pans out. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment 246 withdrawn. Amendment 246A not moved. Clause 158: Nutrient pollution standards to apply to certain sewage disposal works
Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: ...the Government, the department, Ofwat and the Environment Agency, but in particular the water companies, in a difficult position by forcing them to connect when the pipes simply cannot take the sewage. It goes into the watercourses right at the beginning of the process, then into the rivers and to the coast, and we know that everyone gets upset about that. To correct my noble friend, the...
Therese Coffey: With the usual courtesies, I welcome the hon. Member for Croydon North (Steve Reed) to his place. I restate that I have always been clear that the current volume of sewage discharged by water companies is totally unacceptable, and they must act urgently to improve their performance so that they meet Government and public expectations. I confirm that the Department, the Environment Agency and...
Rebecca Pow: ..., pollution and fish disease that are responsible. The Plan for Water sets out broad actions to improve England’s water quality and aquatic species, including reducing pollution from agriculture, sewage, wastewater and transport.
