In the House of Commons, James warned that water companies are in the last chance saloon and they and regulators must be held to account to tackle the unacceptable use of storm overflows.
He highlighted the role that enhanced monitoring on the use of overflows, the biggest investment in water infrastructure companies are being required to make, and fines and criminal penalties are in place to tackle the use of storm overflows. He urged that companies and regulators to be held to account to deliver major improvements.
Text of exchange:
James Wild MP:
The use of storm overflows is completely unacceptable, but does the Minister agree that the best way to tackle that is through enhanced monitoring, requiring a record £56 billion investment by the water companies, and the use of significant fines and criminal prosecutions? Does she also agree that the water companies should be in no doubt that they are in the last-chance saloon and that they and regulators must be held to account to deliver major improvements for our constituents?
Rebecca Pow MP, Environment Minister:
I thank my hon. Friend for those sensible points. To be honest, it is because of the monitoring this Government have put in place that we now know what is going on. Under the Labour Government there was virtually no monitoring at all: in 2016, some 5% of storm sewerage overflows were being monitored; that figure is 90% now, and by the end of the year it will be 100%. We will also have to monitor upstream and downstream of every sewerage overflow outlet, so we will know exactly what is going on, and unacceptable behaviour will be acted upon.
