Business of the House
Helena Dollimore Excerpts(4 days, 17 hours ago)
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Lucy Powell
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question; I am not quite sure why he is at the back of the queue already, when the House has been sitting for so little time, but maybe he will get himself higher up the queue in future debates.
The hon. Gentleman raises an important matter. A number of significant pieces of legislation failed to get through wash-up after the then Prime Minister took such an illogical decision to call an early election—one that I am sure Opposition Members are living to regret—but there will be a private Members’ Bills ballot in due course, which may be an opportunity to pursue the matter.
Helena Dollimore (Hastings and Rye) (Lab/Co-op)
May I congratulate you on your re-election, Mr Speaker, and welcome the new Leader of the House to the Dispatch Box?
My Hastings and Rye constituents have suffered hugely because of the crumbling infrastructure of Southern Water. People have been left without water for over five days on not just one but two occasions. Residents and businesses have yet to be properly compensated. The town centre of Hastings has been flooded twice, and we have seen record levels of sewage dumped in our sea and even appearing in people’s homes. Will the Leader of the House look into when I can raise the matter in upcoming debates in the House?
Lucy Powell
What an excellently put question from the new Member for Hastings and Rye, which has a special place in my heart as the location of all my childhood holidays. I am disturbed to learn of the failures of Southern Water in dealing with these issues. As my hon. Friend will know, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has got straight to work, bringing in the water bosses and taking a series of steps to clean up our rivers and seas and hold water companies to account. We will soon be introducing the water special measures Bill; I hope my hon. Friend will take a keen interest in that legislation and will contribute fully as a new Member.