Independent Water Commission

Calum Miller Excerpts

Monday 21st July 2025 Commons Chamber

[Steve Reed]

Well, the answer to that question is very quick: yes, it does.

[Calum Miller (Bicester and Woodstock) (LD)]

I draw the House’s attention to my entry in the register as I am an office holder on the all-party parliamentary water group. Last year, at the first Prime Minister’s questions of the Session, I drew the Prime Minister’s attention to the fact that Thames Water had pumped sewage into the River Evenlode for 2,600 hours in the previous year. I called then for the scrapping of Ofwat, and I am delighted that the Secretary of State has listened to my party and so many campaigners by doing so today. Thames Water has pumped a further 1,000 hours-worth of sewage into the same river in the intervening period, however, which is why the Evenlode Catchment Partnership has taken to citizen science to try to measure those figures. The Secretary of State set out that he wishes to halve the number of spills, but why is he not seeking to halve their volume and quantity, for that is what is killing our rivers?

[Steve Reed]

Our target for sewage reduction is the most ambitious target put forward by any Government in our country’s history, and I am very proud of that. It is an important stepping-stone to restoring our rivers, lakes and seas to the good health and purity that many of us will remember from when we were younger.