Independent Water Commission

Tom Rutland Excerpts
Monday 21st July 2025

(1 day, 18 hours ago)

Commons Chamber
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Steve Reed Portrait Steve Reed
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By monitoring every single outlet and making that visible to people across the country—campaigners and residents—we will open up the system with far greater transparency than has previously been the case.

Tom Rutland Portrait Tom Rutland (East Worthing and Shoreham) (Lab)
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Last week, it was revealed that the chief executive of Southern Water was awarded an egregious, enormous pay rise worth hundreds of thousands of pounds, despite the company continuing to oversee sewage spills and infrastructure failures that affect my constituents. Does the Secretary of State agree that water bosses should not profit from overseeing catastrophic failure?

Steve Reed Portrait Steve Reed
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I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend and share his sentiment that the payment is outrageous. It was possible as part of a scheme that was permitted under the regulatory regime allowed by the previous Government. We have changed the law; it will not happen again.