Oral Answers to Questions

Alan Strickland Excerpts

Thursday 13th November 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sally Jameson (Doncaster Central) (Lab/Co-op)]

6. What steps she is taking to reform the water sector.

[Alan Strickland (Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor) (Lab)]

8. What steps she is taking to reform the water sector.

[The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Emma Reynolds)]

The Government will publish a White Paper later this year outlining our vision for the future of the water sector, making the most fundamental reform of our water system in a generation. We are determined to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas to deliver better outcomes for consumers and the environment.

[Emma Reynolds]

I thank my hon. Friend for her campaigning on this issue. We recognise the scale of the challenge facing our water system and are taking decisive action to reset the sector. We will create a single powerful water regulator, abolishing Ofwat and ending the fragmentation that led to the abuses of the past. As my hon. Friend refers to, we have already banned polluting water bosses from taking bonuses, which we did early in our time in government with the passing of the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025.

[Alan Strickland]

It is crucial that the Government have the powers to crack down on polluting companies, but the Environment Agency’s budget was cut by half by the previous Conservative Government. What will this Government do to make it quicker and easier to fine the companies polluting our rivers with raw sewage?

[Emma Reynolds]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Under this Labour Government, there is nowhere to hide for polluting water companies. We have overseen record fines on water companies and are introducing automatic penalties—like speeding tickets—to ensure that those companies are held to account for every level of offence.

Oral Answers to Questions

Alan Strickland Excerpts

Thursday 4th September 2025 Commons Chamber

[Warinder Juss (Wolverhampton West) (Lab)]

1. What steps she is taking to help ensure the effective prosecution of people smugglers. [R]

[Alan Strickland (Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor) (Lab)]

9. What steps she is taking to help ensure the effective prosecution of people smugglers.

--- Later in debate ---

[The Solicitor General]

Developing controlled and managed routes for genuine refugees is important. This is one of a host of robust, concrete and practical measures that the Government are taking to crack down on the vile activities of people smuggling gangs. I contrast our approach with that of the Conservative party, which left us with this borders crisis, and with that of Reform, which is happy to stoke anger but has absolutely no answers.

[Alan Strickland]

To stop the small boats, it is crucial that the Labour Government provide global leadership to smash the criminal gangs. Can the Solicitor General set out the work that we are doing with other countries to secure our borders and end this appalling trade in human life?

[The Solicitor General]

My hon. Friend rightly highlights this Government’s global leadership on these issues, which is part of our plan to fix the borders crisis left to us by the last Government. We have agreed a landmark deal with France, and we have increased co-operation with Germany and other countries. We have removed 35,000 people with no right to be here, and increased the removal of failed asylum seekers by 30%. We are giving Border Security Command counter-terrorist-style powers through our borders Bill, which is a Bill that both Reform and the Conservative party voted against.