Water Sector: Public Ownership Debate
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Richard Foord
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Water Sector: Public Ownership
Richard Foord Excerpts(1 month, 1 week ago)
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Paul Davies (Colne Valley) (Lab)
I beg to move,
That this House has considered e-petition 762640 relating to a referendum on public ownership of the water sector.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mrs Barker. I begin by thanking Ashley Paul Smith, who is sitting in the Public Gallery, for pulling together this petition. It has now received 208,000 signatures, and counting—I am sure that that number is already out of date. As the founder and chair of Windrush Against Sewage Pollution, Ash has been investigating the sewage scandal since 2016. Members will likely be aware that his efforts were dramatised earlier this year in Channel 4’s “Dirty Business”, which exposed the long-term impact of the private model on our water sector.
Richard Foord (Honiton and Sidmouth) (LD)
That brilliant documentary was based on an example relating to South West Water and Devon. Many people in my area would like South West Water to become a company for the public benefit and mutualised. Does the hon. Gentleman agree that that would be a good model for South West Water?
Paul Davies
As I run through my speech, the hon. Gentleman will find a theme of strong support for public ownership of the water sector throughout. We absolutely must look at that option.
Ash’s petition calls for
“a binding national referendum on whether the water industry should be returned to public ownership…A referendum would give the public back its voice about its water.”
For too long, our water sector has been in the hands of shareholders rather than the public, who pay for and rely on its delivery.