Oral Answers to Questions

Rachel Taylor Excerpts

Thursday 5th February 2026 Commons Chamber

[Emma Hardy]

The hon. Lady raises a really important point—I have been following the situation really closely, and it is devastating. She is quite right to point out the trauma and upset caused by flooding. We invested £80 million in Somerset between April 2024 and March 2025 on flood and coastal risk management, and we will allocate another £75 million to Somerset between April 2025 and March 2026. I will check whether my diary aligns so that I can make an earlier visit.

[Rachel Taylor (North Warwickshire and Bedworth) (Lab)]

4. What steps she is taking to improve the inspection of water infrastructure.

[James Asser (West Ham and Beckton) (Lab)]

13. What steps she is taking to improve the inspection of water infrastructure.

[The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Emma Reynolds)]

This Government are overhauling the regulatory system to deliver better outcomes for consumers and the environment. In our water White Paper, we set out plans for a more powerful, integrated regulator with real teeth, introducing MOT-style checks on pipes, pumps and other water infrastructure. Last year alone, the Environment Agency has ramped up enforcement, more than doubling inspections of water company assets.

[Rachel Taylor]

Affinity Water and Severn Trent are opening their consultation next week on the Grand Union canal transfer scheme. The project will see 53 megalitres of treated water a day pumped into the canal in Atherstone in my constituency to be extracted in the south-east. Residents in Atherstone are concerned about the noise, damage to the environment and disruption that the scheme could create. Can the Minister reassure my constituents that she will work with the water companies involved to ensure that disruption is minimal and the treated water is safe, and will she meet my constituents to hear their concerns?

--- Later in debate ---

[The Solicitor General]

The hon. Lady makes an extremely important point. This Government are committed to tackling violence against women and girls in every form, which is why we announced our cross-Government strategy for tackling VAWG in December. I will happily speak to colleagues across the Home Office and Ministry of Justice to ensure that her points are properly addressed.

[Rachel Taylor (North Warwickshire and Bedworth) (Lab)]

3. What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the work of the Crown Prosecution Service’s serious economic, organised crime and international directorate.

[The Solicitor General]

This Government are determined to make the UK a hostile environment for economic crime. The CPS plays a pivotal role in deterring offenders and bringing fraudsters to justice, with consistently high conviction rates of about 86%. Last year the CPS successfully secured the first prosecution for the breach of financial sanctions, convicting two Russian nationals of eight counts of breaching financial sanctions and two counts of money laundering. The directorate will continue its swift response to the evolving nature of economic crime and maintain focus on delivering justice for the public.

[Rachel Taylor]

As a practising solicitor for more than 20 years, I am of course aware of the rules and professional guidance on conflicts of interest. Does the Solicitor General agree that the shadow Attorney General recusing himself from giving legal advice to the Leader of the Opposition because he would rather profit from advising Abramovich demonstrates where the priorities lie for this Conservative party when it comes to backing the Government on economic sanctions in defence of Ukraine and our national security?

[The Solicitor General]

It is utterly indefensible that the shadow Attorney General in the other place is acting as a lawyer for sanctioned Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich. He has recused himself from giving legal advice to the Conservative party on the issue of Ukraine and financial sanctions, sacrificing a key element of his role in order to work against our national interests. The Government are putting national security at the heart of every decision and stands in staunch solidarity with Ukraine.