Contributions
1,009 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Independent Water CommissionI agree with the right hon. Member on one point—that we should be cracking down on tax avoidance; it is always worth looking into that. On his earlier point, I am much more…21 Jul 2025HANSARD Independent Water CommissionI welcome the Liberal Democrats’ conversion; when they were in government, and when the Water Minister was indeed a Liberal Democrat, they commissioned a report that found there…21 Jul 2025HANSARD Independent Water CommissionI support what the hon. Gentleman says about the Environment Act, which is a worthwhile piece of legislation passed by the previous Government. I also support what he says about…21 Jul 2025HANSARD Independent Water CommissionI agree: it is important that these changes are brought in as quickly as possible. The state of our water sector, given the levels of pollution in our waterways and the…21 Jul 2025HANSARD Independent Water CommissionI agree with much of what the hon. Lady says. Her constituents are experiencing what constituents across the country are experiencing. It is not acceptable and it will not…21 Jul 2025HANSARD Independent Water CommissionI know Battersea very well—it is a beautiful area—and I am aware of the problems with pollution. Of course, she knows all too well the concerns of her residents about escalating…21 Jul 2025HANSARD Independent Water CommissionI thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. I speak regularly with my counterparts in Northern Ireland and am more than happy to convey his message to them the next time I speak…21 Jul 2025HANSARD Independent Water CommissionI would be more than happy to write to the right hon. Member with the details he is asking for, but as I have said earlier, we are also speeding up the planning process and…21 Jul 2025HANSARD Independent Water CommissionI hope that the hon. Member will be reassured by the fact that I have ringfenced customers’ money so that it can no longer be diverted for payment of bonuses and dividends, as was…21 Jul 2025HANSARD Independent Water CommissionNationalising the water companies would, as I have already said, cost £100 billion—money that we would have to strip out of the national health service and education in order to…21 Jul 2025HANSARD Independent Water CommissionI was slightly confused by that question, if I am honest. My hon. Friend is very brave to go swimming in the North sea, but I know that many people enjoy that. The changes that we…21 Jul 2025HANSARD Independent Water CommissionWe always want to support those on lower incomes and those who may be experiencing water poverty; nobody should be worried about their water bill because their income is too low.…21 Jul 2025HANSARD Independent Water CommissionI thank my hon. Friend for her question. Voters want to see action, not just words. That is why I am so proud that that £104 billion of investment that we have secured started to…21 Jul 2025HANSARD Independent Water CommissionThe new ombudsman will have statutory powers to provide independent and free support to customers experiencing the kinds of failures that my hon. Friend describes; there are many…21 Jul 2025HANSARDRiver PollutionMy hon. Friend will be aware that we inherited record levels of sewage pollution in our waterways from the previous Government. Since the election, we have launched the biggest…19 Jun 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsLast week, the Minister for Water and Flooding and I attended the United Nations ocean conference in Nice. We announced that the Government will introduce a Bill by the end of the…19 Jun 2025HANSARDRiver PollutionI thank my hon. Friend for her question, and I understand her concerns. I reassure her that the Government will always act in the national interest on these issues. Thames Water…19 Jun 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsFirst, I remind the hon. Gentleman that I attended the Royal Cornwall Show with him just a few days ago. I am surprised he has forgotten that, because we sat together in the same…19 Jun 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsAs the hon. Member says, I do know of this situation because the facility is adjacent to my constituency as well. He will know that I cannot comment on what the Environment Agency…19 Jun 2025HANSARDRiver PollutionThe hon. Member will be aware that we are supporting work in the Wye catchment area to deal with those problems, but she is quite right in what she says. The environmental land…19 Jun 2025