Contributions
578 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDWater (Special Measures) Bill [ Lords ] (Third sitting)Clause 10 amends the Environment Act 1995 to allow the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales the power to make charging schemes to recover costs from water companies.…14 Jan 2025HANSARDWater (Special Measures) Bill [ Lords ] (Third sitting)The Conservative Government were the first Government to start addressing this issue by actually evaluating the data, monitoring overflows and monitoring outflows. I gently remind…14 Jan 2025HANSARDWater (Special Measures) Bill [ Lords ] (Third sitting)I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time. The proposed new clause would introduce a legal requirement that money collected from water companies from financial…14 Jan 2025HANSARDWater (Special Measures) Bill [ Lords ] (Third sitting)I support Government amendment 5, as it is a privilege amendment in accordance with the procedure for the passage of Bills between the other place and this place. We wish to raise…14 Jan 2025HANSARDWater (Special Measures) Bill [ Lords ] (Third sitting)I agree. Amendments are easy to table with a view to obstruction and making political points, and those were not affordable and would not have been deliverable in any realistic…14 Jan 2025HANSARDWater (Special Measures) Bill [ Lords ] (Third sitting)Can I just say that the previous Government went and looked for the problem, and found the scale of it? We all agree that it is a huge problem that needs to be addressed; we are…14 Jan 2025HANSARDWater (Special Measures) Bill [ Lords ] (Third sitting)It is actually part of our amendment.14 Jan 2025HANSARDWater (Special Measures) Bill [ Lords ] (Third sitting)Yes, I was aware of that. I am acutely aware of it now and congratulate my hon. Friend on securing it. It highlights the fact that there is a lot of agreement. I am sure that his…14 Jan 2025HANSARDWater (Special Measures) Bill [ Lords ] (Third sitting)Clause 11 extends the purposes for which water quality inspectors may be appointed to include functions relating to national security directions under section 208 of the Water…14 Jan 2025HANSARDWater (Special Measures) Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)I thank the Minister for her constructive response, but the Opposition still feel that this is an important new clause in relation to the impact on water pollution, so we would…14 Jan 2025HANSARDWater (Special Measures) Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time. New clause 6 is a fair and reasonable request to strengthen the Bill. Quite simply, it would do what it says on the tin by…14 Jan 2025HANSARDWater (Special Measures) Bill [ Lords ] (Third sitting)On clauses 12 and 13, the Opposition tabled amendments 7 and 8 to remove them. They provide the Government with the power to issue special administration orders to water companies…14 Jan 2025HANSARDWater (Special Measures) Bill [ Lords ] (Third sitting)The Opposition note that clause 14 attempts to make amendments to previous legislation so that a court may not exercise powers that it currently has with regard to an application…14 Jan 2025HANSARDWater (Special Measures) Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)I thank the Minister for the constructive tone with which she has engaged in this whole debate, but I think we are going round in circles. We are trying to hold the water…14 Jan 2025HANSARDWater (Special Measures) Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)I thank the Minister for her comments. I am afraid that I am not fully reassured, and we would like to see provision in the Bill for any fines imposed on water companies to have a…14 Jan 2025HANSARDWater (Special Measures) Bill [ Lords ] (First sitting)It is a great privilege to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Vickers. On behalf of His Majesty’s Opposition, I rise to challenge the Government on their plans in Government…09 Jan 2025HANSARDWater (Special Measures) Bill [ Lords ] (Second sitting)It is a great pleasure to speak to amendment 3, in the name of my hon. Friend the Member for Beaconsfield (Joy Morrissey). Today, there is a recurrent theme—transparency and…09 Jan 2025HANSARDWater (Special Measures) Bill [ Lords ] (First sitting)I rise to speak about amendments 6 and 9, proposed by His Majesty’s Opposition. I hope that they are self-explanatory amendments that are quite simply about the core concept of…09 Jan 2025HANSARDWater (Special Measures) Bill [ Lords ] (First sitting)On that note, I will move on to amendment 9, which would make it a requirement for pollution incident reduction plans to include how an undertaker intends to reduce the occurrence…09 Jan 2025HANSARDWater (Special Measures) Bill [ Lords ] (Second sitting)In the interests of promoting transparency and clarity, we would still like to press our amendment 6 to a vote. To bolster, support and protect the precious integrity of our…09 Jan 2025