Contributions
1,563 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDWater Company Resilience to HeatwavesI wish to update the House on the action this Government are taking to strengthen water company resilience to heatwaves and sustained hot weather. The Met Office outlook for July…16 Jul 2026HANSARD Waste Management SitesIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Murrison. I begin by apologising to my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool North and Fleetwood (Lorraine Beavers) and to the…15 Jul 2026HANSARD Waste Management SitesI am conscious that I am speaking outside my brief in responding to this debate, but I will ensure that my hon. Friend the Minister for Nature hears the hon. Member’s comment and…15 Jul 2026HANSARDFuture of Thames WaterQuite clearly, some of the behaviour that we have seen in the past from water companies shows that the regulatory system did not work, and that is exactly why we are changing it.…14 Jul 2026HANSARDFuture of Thames WaterI thank the hon. Member for Witney (Charlie Maynard) for inviting me to respond to his concerns about the future of Thames Water. I have listened with his interest to his…14 Jul 2026HANSARDFuture of Thames WaterMy hon. Friend is quite right to point out how self-monitoring, which was introduced by the coalition Government, was such an utter mistake that has done so much damage to the…14 Jul 2026HANSARDFuture of Thames WaterI have heard quite a lot from the hon. Gentleman, so I would be most grateful if he would not mind giving someone else a chance. We are looking at introducing the performance…14 Jul 2026HANSARDFuture of Thames WaterIt is true that I feel angry on behalf of all our constituents who have been so badly let down by the system that we inherited, and that is exactly why we have taken the action…14 Jul 2026HANSARDFuture of Thames WaterAs I have just said, on the issue of performance, cases have to be brought forward to court, and the court must be convinced that the company is not performing—I will move on to…14 Jul 2026HANSARDFuture of Thames WaterThis is the thing with the hon. Gentleman: he makes many assertions in this House when he stands up to comment, but then he refuses to allow me to address and answer them. I am…14 Jul 2026HANSARDTeddington Direct River Abstraction ProposalI recognise that Ham and Kingston riverside is one of the first designated bathing water spots in the whole of London, which is quite exciting for the city. When we designate…09 Jul 2026HANSARDRiver PollutionThis Government inherited record levels of river pollution. We have already passed the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025, making pollution cover-ups a criminal offence; more than…09 Jul 2026HANSARDRiver PollutionI wish my hon. Friend and her team the very best of luck in this weekend’s boat race, and I share her outrage at the amount of pollution we are seeing in so many of our beautiful…09 Jul 2026HANSARDRiver PollutionI also share the hon. Gentleman’s outrage at the amount of pollution he is seeing in the environment, and recognise how much this impacts not only the local environment, but the…09 Jul 2026HANSARDTeddington Direct River Abstraction ProposalWithout action, we face a possible water supply deficit of 5 billion litres a day by 2055. This is why projects such as the Teddington direct river abstraction scheme are vital,…09 Jul 2026HANSARDRiver Wye: PollutionThe level of pollution in the River Wye is unacceptable and we are working to accelerate progress to tackle it, including by funding a £1 million research programme to identify…09 Jul 2026HANSARDRiver Wye: PollutionI recognise all the important work that my hon. Friend has put into this important campaign, and how much she cares about protecting this beautiful river. We will continue to work…09 Jul 2026HANSARDRiver Wye: PollutionAs I said to my hon. Friend the Member for Monmouthshire (Catherine Fookes), we are working with the EA to explore all the available options, which includes a water protection…09 Jul 2026HANSARDTopical QuestionsThe hon. Gentleman raises an important point. Last Thursday I met some of the water companies from the areas that will have the extreme heatwave, to be reassured that they will…09 Jul 2026HANSARDTopical QuestionsMy hon. Friend raises a hugely important topic, and Reuben’s story was extremely moving to hear at first hand. I extend my deepest sympathy to the families of all those who have…09 Jul 2026