Water Companies: Environmental Pollution Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateBaroness Hayman of Ullock
Main Page: Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Labour - Life peer)Department Debates - View all Baroness Hayman of Ullock's debates with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
(2 years, 1 month ago)
Lords ChamberI thank my noble friend. She makes very good points. The independent Sentencing Council review will, I hope, tackle her first point. I entirely agree about the problems imposed on customers and us all by wet wipes. We have announced a call for evidence which will explore a possible ban on single-use wet wipes containing plastic. I am very happy to work with Fleur Anderson on that.
My Lords, the Government’s response to the Environment Agency’s report said:
“We are the first government to set out our expectation”—
expectation—
“that water companies must take steps to significantly reduce storm overflows and earlier this year we consulted—
they consulted—
“on a comprehensive plan.”
They also said:
“We will not tolerate this behaviour and we will take robust action if we don’t see urgent improvements.”
Is now not the time to take robust action? The situation is getting worse, and the public have had enough. Will the Government support the Environment Agency’s proposals?
I would hate any noble Lord to be under the impression that our attempts to resolve this problem start here. We have record levels of investment in our water infrastructure. Between 2020 and 2025, £3.1 billion is being invested by water companies specifically in storm overflow improvements. We have set out target dates by which we want to see these improvements, and we will report by 1 September on precisely how they are going to be delivered.