Independent Water Commission

Debate between Steve Reed and Amanda Martin

Monday 21st July 2025 Commons Chamber

[Steve Reed]

Monitoring will now be compulsory on every single outlet, not just some of them. That data will be published in near real time so that consumers know exactly what is going into the waterways in the area where they live or where they are on holiday.

[Amanda Martin (Portsmouth North) (Lab)]

I warmly welcome the statement and the work of the Government. Portsmouth, as an island city, is well aware of the damage done; we see it, we smell it and we feel it in our pockets every day. More than 100 of my constituents have raised their fury and disappointment at the way that the Tories allowed firms to extract billions and pump raw sewage. Abolishing Ofwat and having an independent water commissioner is another brilliant step that will have real teeth and serve customers. Will the Secretary of State confirm that this Government will ensure action—that we do not just monitor, we take action; that there is no light touch and we take action; that our actions ensure that fair water companies serve the public interest first? Will he meet me and my resident David Taylor, a brilliant campaigner and inventor, to explore how we not only stop sewage pumping, but reduce leaks?

[Steve Reed]

I assume that is not my hon. Friend the Member for Hemel Hempstead (David Taylor), but another David Taylor. I am happy to ensure that my hon. Friend the Member for Portsmouth North (Amanda Martin) gets that meeting. Let me take this opportunity to thank her for being such a champion for her residents and her constituency. I have had the honour of visiting a couple of times, and I have seen how strongly she fights for clean water in her community.

Water (Special Measures) Bill [Lords]

Debate between Steve Reed and Amanda Martin

2nd reading
Monday 16th December 2024 Commons Chamber

[Steve Reed]

My hon. Friend is right to make that point. We are not just giving the regulators more teeth; we are also giving them more resources to ensure that they can carry out enforcement against those responsible for wrongdoing.

The Bill requires Ofwat to consider how it can contribute to achieving targets set under the Environment Act 2021 and the Climate Change Act 2008 when carrying out its functions. Together, these measures will ensure that water companies serve customers and the environment far better in future.

[Amanda Martin (Portsmouth North) (Lab)]

Does the Secretary of State agree with me, and with my constituents, that sewage pumped 193 times for 404 hours, in the context of £41 million in bonuses, produces angry residents, un-swimmable seas and potential bill rises—in short, a real faeces show—and does he agree that it cannot happen again?

[Steve Reed]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for explaining why her constituents are so angry about the situation, and why the Bill is so necessary as we start to turn the water industry around so that it serves customers and the environment better than it did previously.

I want to reassure the House that although water is a devolved matter, my Department has engaged with the devolved Governments of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland throughout the development of the Bill. All its provisions will apply to both England and Wales, and we will continue to work closely with our Welsh counterparts as it progresses.

Independent Water Commission

Debate between Steve Reed and Amanda Martin

Wednesday 23rd October 2024 Commons Chamber

[Steve Reed]

The commission has a wide remit, and will look at the wider impact of damage to the water system, which got much worse under the previous Government.

[Amanda Martin (Portsmouth North) (Lab)]

As a coastal city, we welcome the commission. It is vital to sort out sewage and floods. In my constituency, parts of Drayton and Farlington are affected by floods—not from rivers or the sea, but because water pumps up through the drains. While it is not sewage, the water cascades down the streets into houses and shops, forcing holidaymakers to check whether they need to get people to put sandbags out to protect their property. Will the Secretary of State ensure that those types of floods are included in the remit of the commission, and that water companies take responsibility?

[Steve Reed]

We have also set up a flood resilience taskforce, which is looking precisely at those kinds of problems related to flooding so that we can take action immediately.