Thames Water

Debate between Emma Reynolds and Bob Blackman

Tuesday 16th June 2026 Commons Chamber

[Emma Reynolds]

My hon. Friend is right to say that Thames Water has a terrible record going back—as I said in my statement—at least 15 years. He is also right to say that sewage spills in the Thames Water area are completely unacceptable. As I have said, the Government stand ready for all eventualities, including a special administration regime.

[Bob Blackman (Harrow East) (Con)]

The Secretary of State is absolutely right to put customers at the forefront, but the problem, as she said in her statement, is that this will all take rather a long time to unwind. At present, uncertainty is the real concern for customers, especially the uncertainty about whether they will be charged extra on their bills. The Secretary of State has given a letter to Ofwat, but what specific changes does she want to see in the deal to encourage her to agree to it, so that we can move forward rather than having uncertainty?

[Emma Reynolds]

Quite simply, I do not want customers to pick up the bill for the repeated failures of Thames Water, but I hear the hon. Gentleman’s concerns about uncertainty, and I would like to see this situation resolved.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Emma Reynolds and Bob Blackman

Thursday 19th March 2026 Commons Chamber

[Emma Reynolds]

We have promoted and protected farmers in trade deals, unlike the previous Government, who sold them down the river with the US and Australian trade deals.

[Bob Blackman (Harrow East) (Con)]

T2. In Harrow we have suffered two industrial-scale dumping incidents on land that is earmarked for much-needed housing development. It has cost thousands of pounds to clear up. The council has issued more than a thousand fines for people dumping their rubbish on the streets. I welcome the decision by the Secretary of State to introduce further measures. Will she outline what those measures are and when they will be introduced, so that we can end this scourge of fly-tipping?

Animal Welfare Strategy

Debate between Emma Reynolds and Bob Blackman

Thursday 18th December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Emma Reynolds]

In the new year, we will issue a consultation on banning trail hunting, as we committed to do in our manifesto. My hon. Friend is right in the things she says about it.

[Bob Blackman (Harrow East) (Con)]

Since we cannot scrutinise the strategy today, may I ask what action is included in it to phase out animal testing in scientific laboratories?

[Emma Reynolds]

As the hon. Member will probably know, that is a joint responsibility with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, which leads on it. We are working closely with DSIT. It released a strategy recently that ensures we can use alternatives more quickly to phase out animal testing. I would be happy to discuss it with him, but it is led by DSIT rather than DEFRA. It is seen as an animal welfare issue, but it sits with DSIT.