Contributions
1,563 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDAir PollutionI take this opportunity to congratulate the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, on the excellent progress made on reducing air pollution in London, which was recently identified as one…19 Mar 2026HANSARDTopical QuestionsIn England we are absolutely holding those companies to account by banning bonuses, abolishing Ofwat, and introducing over 10,000 inspections for water companies. Sadly, our power…19 Mar 2026HANSARDFloodingOn Tuesday, I was delighted to announce the biggest ever flood programme; we are investing £1.4 billion across 2026-27 in over 600 flood schemes across all regions of England. The…19 Mar 2026HANSARDTopical QuestionsIt is incredibly distressing to hear of people falling ill when using our bathing waters. One reform that we are looking at—being led by Chris Whitty—is about public health and…19 Mar 2026HANSARDAir PollutionI thank the hon. Lady, and pay tribute to Rosamund for the campaigning that she has been doing on this for years. Of course, I support the objectives of improving air quality and…19 Mar 2026HANSARDFlood Preparedness: Esher and WaltonI pay tribute to all the flood groups up and down the country and those volunteers who do so much to add to our flood resilience. If the hon. Lady would like to write to me…19 Mar 2026HANSARDTopical QuestionsThe short answer is yes. The Minister for Housing and I sit on the water delivery taskforce, which considers whether we have the water we need where we need it. We have done some…19 Mar 2026HANSARDFlood Preparedness: Esher and WaltonI was delighted to visit my hon. Friend’s constituency to speak to some of the people who have been impacted by flooding, and to see the area for myself. She has been a formidable…19 Mar 2026HANSARDAir PollutionI thank my hon. Friend for raising this. I know how important it is for him and his community to see that we clean up our rivers, lakes and seas, and he has been campaigning on…19 Mar 2026HANSARDFloodingThe right hon. Gentleman raises an important point. Quite often, we find that flooding farmland is used to protect villages and rural communities. I have been thinking about the…19 Mar 2026HANSARDPrivate Sea Defences: ChargesWe are committed to supporting coastal communities, and that is why, between April 2024 and March 2026, over £600 million has been invested in protection from sea flooding, tidal…19 Mar 2026HANSARDTopical QuestionsI share my hon. Friend’s anger about the poor service that many people receive from Thames Water. I can absolutely assure him that Thames Water is being held to account—a record…19 Mar 2026HANSARDTopical QuestionsI will be happy to look into the matter and get back to the right hon. Gentleman in writing.19 Mar 2026HANSARDPrivate Sea Defences: ChargesThe annual sea defence charge is a legal obligation that was placed on property owners in Sovereign Harbour in 1988, so it was introduced under Thatcher and was unchanged under…19 Mar 2026HANSARDFlood Preparedness: Esher and WaltonI have said this previously, but it is always worth reiterating. On Tuesday I announced the biggest ever flood programme, with £1.4 billion investment in 2026-27, over £1million…19 Mar 2026HANSARDFloodingI know how much my hon. Friend cares about this issue. As well as announcing the biggest ever major flood investment, we are also changing the flood and coastal erosion funding…19 Mar 2026HANSARDFlooding: Rural CommunitiesIt is a pleasure to respond to the debate. I thank the hon. Member for Rutland and Stamford (Alicia Kearns) for initiating it, and for giving me an opportunity to outline the…18 Mar 2026HANSARDFlooding: Rural CommunitiesI will not make this about Somerset, I promise, but we had a very good conversation with the Environment Agency, the internal drainage boards and members of the council during…18 Mar 2026HANSARDFlooding: Rural CommunitiesI am very happy to do that. Apologies; I normally listen out for the coughing that comes— [ Interruption. ] And there we have it! In conclusion, the Government are committed to…18 Mar 2026HANSARDFlooding: Rural CommunitiesThat is absolutely at the forefront of my mind. Having been to see some of the farmers this year and before the election, and having had those conversations, I am actively looking…18 Mar 2026