Asked by: Liam Conlon (Labour - Beckenham and Penge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the accountability of water company executives in the Water (Special Measures) Bill [HL].
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
For too long, water companies have discharged unacceptable levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas. This Government is determined to ensure that executives have the right incentives to turn the performance of water companies around and agree that it is absolutely necessary to increase the accountability of water companies for wrongdoing.
That is why the Water (Special Measures) Bill will provide the most significant increase in enforcement powers for the regulators in a decade, giving them the teeth they need to take tougher action against water companies and their executives.
This Bill will ensure companies are held accountable by ensuring that imprisonment will always be available to the courts as a sentencing option where investigations by the environmental regulators have been obstructed. It will also enable automatic and severe fines for wrongdoing, making it possible for the regulators to take swift action against minor to moderate offences where currently a lengthy investigation is required.
The Bill will introduce a statutory duty for all water companies in England and Wales to publish annual Pollution Incident Reduction Plans, and associated Implementation Reports. Chief Executives will be required to approve both the plan and the report and will be personally liable for their publication.
We are also providing Ofwat with the powers to stop the payment of executive bonuses where companies breach specified standards relating to criminal liability, financial, environmental or consumer matters. Furthermore, under the new powers, Ofwat will test to ensure directors and executives meet clear standards of fitness and propriety before being appointed.
Asked by: Liam Conlon (Labour - Beckenham and Penge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to improve access to the natural environment.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recognises the vital role access to the natural environment plays in supporting people’s health and wellbeing and is committed to ensuring opportunities to enjoy the outdoors are both safe and appropriate. To this end, we have set out ambitious manifesto commitments, including the creation of nine new national river walks and three new national forests in England, which will significantly expand access to the great outdoors.
Key initiatives are already underway to improve access to nature, including The King Charles III England Coast Path, which will be the longest waymarked and maintained coastal walking route in the world, spanning approximately 2,700 miles. The project will also create 250,000 hectares of new open access land within the coastal margin.
Asked by: Liam Conlon (Labour - Beckenham and Penge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress his Department has made on tackling illegal water pollution in rivers (a) nationally and (b) in Beckenham and Penge constituency.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In July, we announced swift action to begin resetting the water sector, including ringfencing vital funding for infrastructure investment and placing customers and the environment at the heart of water company objectives.
In September, the Government introduced the Water (Special Measures) Bill to give regulators new powers to take tougher and faster action to crack down on water companies damaging the environment and failing their customers.
Furthermore, on 23 October, the Secretary of State, in conjunction with the Welsh government, launched an Independent Commission on the water sector regulatory system, to fundamentally transform how our water system works and clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good.
The Environment Agency regulates discharges to water using environmental permits and investigates pollution incidents, nationally and in the Beckenham and Penge constituency. Regulators will take action when illegality is identified, in line with their enforcement and sanctions policies.
Asked by: Liam Conlon (Labour - Beckenham and Penge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to reduce air pollution (a) nationally and (b) in Beckenham and Penge constituency.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
(a) The Government will introduce a comprehensive Clean Air Strategy to deliver legally binding targets to improve air quality. The Clean Air Strategy will include a series of interventions to reduce emissions so that everyone’s exposure to air pollution is reduced.
(b) Air quality policy in London is devolved to the Mayor. The Mayor and the London Assembly prioritise action to improve air quality and support local authorities including Bromley to improve air quality in their area.
Asked by: Liam Conlon (Labour - Beckenham and Penge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to clear up water ways in Beckenham and Penge constituency.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Secretary of State has met with water company bosses, including Thames Water, to make clear companies will be held accountable for their performance for customers and the environment. During the meeting water bosses signed up to the Government’s initial package of reforms to reduce sewage pollution and attract investment to upgrade infrastructure.
In addition, the Government’s Water (Special Measures) Bill will strengthen regulation, giving the water regulator new powers to ban the payment of bonuses if environmental standards are not met and increasing accountability for water executives. These are the first critical steps in enabling a long-term and transformative reset of the entire water sector. The Government will be carrying out a review to fundamentally transform how our water system works and clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good.
Also, in Beckenham and Penge, and across the country, the Environment Agency undertakes weekly debris screen clearances and vegetation clearances at priority locations to keep the main rivers clear.