Thames, Yorkshire and Northumbrian Water: Ofwat Proposed Fines
Debate between Baroness Meacher and Baroness Hayman of Ullock(2 days, 10 hours ago)
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Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)
Clearly, it is really important that we support all vulnerable customers regarding their bills and their ability to pay them. During the passage of the Water (Special Measures) Bill in the other place, the Government passed an amendment on how we need to support vulnerable customers. That will of course come back, and I will be talking about that when we get to ping-pong next week.
Baroness Meacher (CB)
My Lords, I greatly respect the Minister, but I just wondered whether she would consider replacing the leaders of the water companies.
Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)
My Lords, that needs to be part of the review that Jon Cunliffe is undertaking with the water companies. One of the purposes of that commission is to see if the way the water companies are operating and are regulated is fit for purpose.
Water Bills
Debate between Baroness Meacher and Baroness Hayman of Ullock(2 months, 1 week ago)
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Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)
As we discussed yesterday in the debate on the Bill, the special administration regime is very much a last resort. Of course, we do not want to see customers bailing out water companies, which is why we are working very closely with Ofwat and the water industry to do everything we can to ensure that does not happen.
Baroness Meacher (CB)
My Lords, the cost of water is obviously important—but even more important is the quality of water. Can the Minister assure the House that the Government are taking all steps to put an end to sewage dumping, for example, assuring the cleanliness of the water that we drink?
Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)
The Drinking Water Inspectorate is responsible for the quality of the water we drink. Our water in this country is among the highest in quality in the world, along with 10 other countries, so the quality of our drinking water is absolutely immaculate. The issue we have is the quality of water in our waterways and watercourses—and that is the situation we are improving through the Bill that is going through at the moment and through the wider review that we will take part in shortly.
Waste: Incineration
Debate between Baroness Meacher and Baroness Hayman of Ullock(3 months, 1 week ago)
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Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)
This Government, as I am sure the noble Lord is aware, have pledged great support for nuclear energy going forward. We need it as part of our future energy security, and small modular reactors are clearly a part of that nuclear journey.
Baroness Meacher (CB)
My Lords, plastic waste is a major problem for the planet, yet plastic is eminently reusable. What action are the Government taking to improve and increase the level of reuse of plastic?
Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)
That is a very good point: we talk about recycling a lot but we do not talk enough about reuse. That has to be a critical part of reducing the amount of waste that we have as a country. This is very much part of the discussions with local authorities, because they have a key role to play in this. Also, encouraging people on behaviour change is difficult and the Government definitely have a role to play in that.