Commons Sense

House of Commons · General Debate

Sewage Discharges

19 April 2022 · 1 other contributor

Opened by Tim Farron Lib Dem Westmorland and Lonsdale

Environment

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Tim Farron raised concerns about sewage discharges in the House of Commons. Other MPs contributed to the debate.

Key points

  • The Bill aims to set mandatory targets for water companies to end legal sewage discharges that pollute waters across England.
  • It proposes to strengthen Ofwat's regulatory powers and require water companies to provide quarterly reports on the impact of sewage discharges.
  • Environmental representatives are to be mandated on water company boards under the proposed legislation.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Tim Farron Lib Dem Westmorland and Lonsdale

The Bill aims to address the issue of legal sewage discharges by water companies which have polluted rivers, lakes, and coastal areas across England. It proposes mandatory targets for ending these discharges, strengthening Ofwat's powers, requiring quarterly reports on their impact, and mandating environmental representatives on water company boards. The current system allows profits while disregarding ecological damage; in 2021 alone, there were 772,000 legal sewage discharges with United Utilities contributing significantly despite high profits.

Other contributors (1)
  • Tim Farron Lib Dem Westmorland and Lonsdale

    Describes the bill's purpose to set mandatory targets for ending sewage discharges, enforce accountability through Ofwat, require environmental impact reports from water companies, and ensure that representatives of local environmental groups are on company boards. Emphasises the ecological and economic impacts of pollution, highlighting United Utilities' record despite high profits.

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