Contributions
1,730 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDWater Quality: Sewage DischargeI can indeed give my hon. Friend that assurance. We will continue to ensure that the licence fees and the costs of permits cover inspections, and we will consider further what…25 Apr 2023HANSARDWater Quality: Sewage DischargeWhat can I say? When the right hon. and learned Member for Holborn and St Pancras (Keir Starmer) ran for the leadership of the Labour party, he suggested that there should be…25 Apr 2023HANSARDWater Quality: Sewage DischargeI absolutely agree. We exercised the necessary foresight in drawing up the legislation that became the Environment Act. We listened to the regulators, because we wanted to…25 Apr 2023HANSARDWater Quality: Sewage DischargeWell said.25 Apr 2023HANSARDStorm Overflows Discharge Reduction PlanThis Government have been clear that sewage discharging into our rivers is completely unacceptable. In August 2022 this Government published the “Storm Overflows Discharge…25 Apr 2023HANSARDWater Quality: Sewage DischargeMy hon. Friend is absolutely right, as is the person he quoted. This is a matter that is dealt with by the Welsh Government, who issue the same strategic policy statement to Ofwat…25 Apr 2023HANSARDWater Quality: Sewage DischargeThe hon. Gentleman has raised a very specific constituency matter. I am sure that if he were to write to me or to the Water Minister, my hon. Friend the Member for Taunton Deane…25 Apr 2023HANSARDWater Quality: Sewage DischargeThe hon. Lady should be aware that during the last decade we put in place legislation that made it tougher to meet ecological status. That includes taking on the monitoring of…25 Apr 2023HANSARDWater Quality: Sewage DischargeI think that is a polite way of describing what we heard. Sewage overflows are not new. They are the result of Victorian plumbing infrastructure combining waste water and surface…25 Apr 2023HANSARDWater Quality: Sewage DischargeMy right hon. Friend is absolutely right. The shadow Secretary of State is ambitious to take my job in the future, but I am confident that the Conservatives will win the next…25 Apr 2023HANSARDWater Quality: Sewage DischargeI agree. Facts are our friends in these matters, and it is important that we continue to ensure that our constituents are well informed. I agree with the shadow Secretary of State…25 Apr 2023HANSARDWater Quality: Sewage DischargeMy right hon. and learned Friend is absolutely right. We are talking about sources of financing. Do the hon. Member for Brighton, Pavilion (Caroline Lucas) and Opposition Members…25 Apr 2023HANSARDWater Quality: Sewage DischargeI beg to move an amendment, to leave out from “an impact assessment of sewage discharges;” to the end of the Question. The public are rightly disgusted by the excessive sewage…25 Apr 2023HANSARDWater Quality: Sewage DischargeMy hon. Friend is wise in her years, and she is absolutely right. It is a case of trying to ensure that we have the necessary information. I repeat that the process of getting the…25 Apr 2023HANSARDWater Quality: Sewage DischargeI share with the hon. Lady a love for that part of the north-west. I grew up there, and I used to cycle down to the River Mersey regularly on the Otterspool prom. I was not quite…25 Apr 2023HANSARDWater Quality: Sewage DischargeQuite clearly, the answer is no. There would not have been the scrutiny that there is today, nor would there have been the investigations that are already under way. The Hamble is…25 Apr 2023HANSARDWater Quality: Sewage DischargeNo, I will try to make a bit of progress. After the many press releases, it is good finally to see a little bit of detail about what the Labour party would do about sewage, but to…25 Apr 2023HANSARDWater Quality: Sewage DischargeUnderstandably, the Environment Act principally addresses England. It is important that we respect devolution to the Welsh Government, who have it in their power to act and who do…25 Apr 2023HANSARDTopical QuestionsI assure my hon. Friend that I see my role as Secretary of State as ensuring that we have productive trade agreements, which include exports as well as potential imports. It is…30 Mar 2023HANSARDTopical QuestionsThe Select Committee Chair is right that the Farmers Weekly has provided an interesting investigation.30 Mar 2023