Will the Minister give way?

Ms Hack addressed concerns raised by her constituents regarding sewage discharges and flooding in North West Leicestershire. She mentioned that the area has experienced significant rainfall, resulting in 15,000 hours of sewage discharge into waterways, impacting local residents' mental health. Ms Hack also highlighted a specific case where a resident collected sewer debris to demonstrate frustration with Severn Trent Water's practices. She welcomed the Government's White Paper on water regulation and called for reassurance that improvements will be made within four years.

She highlighted the water pollution issues in Shipley and criticised Yorkshire Water for failing to invest adequately, leading to high bills and infrastructure damage. She welcomed the Labour Government's efforts and the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025, but expressed concerns over excessive dividends and debt levels. Dixon urged the Minister to address these issues and ensure that customers' money is properly used. Under the previous government, light-touch regulation left infrastructure crumbling. Asset mapping under new proposals will help know the state of infrastructure and whether investments are fixing leaks. Will the Minister assure the House that the regional planning for water catchments will have a strong citizen voice embedded in it, as well as drawing on evidence and expertise?

He highlighted the need to clean up rivers and ensure a plentiful supply of clean water, especially in light of population growth and climate change. He expressed concern over the decline in freshwater species and the pollution affecting chalk streams. Blake questioned why the Government ignored amendments to protect these habitats, citing arrogance as a barrier to progress. Additionally, he was concerned about the speed of implementing Sir Jon Cunliffe's recommendations and potential impacts on water bills.

Blake primary school had to close due to sewage issues; bills have increased by 9.75%. The ultimate controller definition is crucial, but Ofwat has not acted properly regarding Thames Water's class A creditors.

Privatisation of water has led to poor service, increased bills, and significant pollution. Water companies have paid £85 billion in dividends since privatisation, accrued £65 billion in debt, and leaked over 1 trillion litres of water in 2024. Ellie Chowns argues that water should be brought into public ownership to work for the public good, as only 82% of British people want it.

She reported on sewage leaks in the Rye brook, which feeds into the River Mole with excessive storm overflows. Maguire argued that privatisation is not working and called for mutually owned public benefit companies to end the sewage scandal.

Privatisation of water has been a disaster, resulting in £72 billion taken out of the industry. There is pollution and flooding, with agricultural run-offs devastating rivers like the River Wye. Thames Water frequently digs up roads causing road closures. Better river basin management and public ownership are needed.

Mr. Newbury expressed concern about the fragmented planning and ageing infrastructure in the water industry, citing more than 450,000 hours of discharge by Severn Trent alone in 2024. He welcomed proposals for a single integrated regulator and transparent monitoring but stressed the need for effective coordination among various stakeholders to address issues like flooding, sewage discharges, and pollution from agricultural run-off.

He intervened to clarify that the all-party parliamentary water group operates independently within Parliament. Intervening to highlight that those working in water companies and farmers are often unfairly blamed for pollution issues. They work hard to prevent incidents, fix leaks, and improve the situation.

The speaker highlighted the severe impact of pollutants on rivers in York, referencing specific hours of sewage releases and high levels of pharmaceutical contaminants. She advocated for stricter regulations based on European standards and urged for infrastructure modernisation to segregate rainwater from sewage. Additionally, Maskell called for better governance within Yorkshire Water and suggested moving water into public ownership.

The speaker criticised the government's water White Paper for not addressing the crisis adequately, highlighting the need for stronger regulations and funding for enforcement. She mentioned the significant rise in water bills and pollution issues caused by agricultural runoff and sewage works. The MP also expressed dissatisfaction with South West Water's response to flooding incidents.

Ms Savage highlighted the issue of sewage outflows in her constituency, stating that at least 16 sewage outlets are polluting local rivers. She criticised the privatised water model and called for a change in ownership of Thames Water to a public benefit or mutual company. She also pointed out four recurring failures in government approaches: lack of courage to address failing systems, overlooking nature-based solutions, misunderstanding farming's role, and failing to utilise citizen power.

He expressed concern about the performance of water companies and the injustice in the water industry, highlighting over 3.6 million hours of sewage dumping in lakes, rivers, and seas in 2024, with Ofwat failing to enforce fines during a four-year period. He criticized collective bonuses for water companies despite poor river health and high service debt payments. In his constituency, there were 5,000 sewage discharge incidents and 55,000 hours of raw sewage pumped into waterways last year. Farron proposed merging regulatory bodies to create a powerful clean water authority and advocated for mutual ownership models in the industry.