Contributions
1,353 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDWater (Special Measures) Bill [ Lords ] (Third sitting)It is a great privilege to serve under your guidance this morning, Dr Huq. We also have no objection to the clause and, in fact, we consider automatic penalties to be a positive…14 Jan 2025HANSARDWater (Special Measures) Bill [ Lords ] (Third sitting)I beg to move amendment 27, in clause 9, page 14, line 11, leave out from duties to end of line 13.14 Jan 2025HANSARDWater (Special Measures) Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time. The Environment Agency will have more powers as a consequence of the Bill. There will be greater regulation and there will be…14 Jan 2025HANSARDWater (Special Measures) Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)I thank the Minister for her response. The new clause aims not to replace the business side of Ofwat’s regulatory framework and powers, but to supplement it. As I said earlier, it…14 Jan 2025HANSARDWater (Special Measures) Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time.14 Jan 2025HANSARDWater (Special Measures) Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time. The new clause is similar in scope to the last one, and I do not want to detain the Committee long. The clause refers to the…14 Jan 2025HANSARDWater (Special Measures) Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)The hon. Member makes a very good point, and we will later come to a new clause that we tabled about planning, because undoubtedly development and industrial activity also have an…14 Jan 2025HANSARDWater (Special Measures) Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time. I do not really want to press this new clause to a vote, but we tabled it because my noble Friend Lady Bakewell withdrew it…14 Jan 2025HANSARDWater (Special Measures) Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)I am not entirely reassured but I am partially at least and we have no desire to push this new clause a vote. I beg to ask leave to withdraw the motion. Clause, by leave,…14 Jan 2025HANSARDWater (Special Measures) Bill [ Lords ] (Third sitting)I am happy to accept many of the assurances that the Minister gave, particularly on the role of Government amendment 5—I learn something new every day. The Liberal Democrats…14 Jan 2025HANSARDWater (Special Measures) Bill [ Lords ] (Third sitting)I rise briefly to support the new clause. Among many other reasons, it bears great similarity to one proposed by my noble Friend Baroness Bakewell. We consider everything in it to…14 Jan 2025HANSARDWater (Special Measures) Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time. New clauses 13 and 14 are connected, so with the Chair’s permission, I might speak to both of them.14 Jan 2025HANSARDWater (Special Measures) Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time.14 Jan 2025HANSARDWater (Special Measures) Bill [ Lords ] (Third sitting)We recognise and, indeed, strongly believe that patience is a virtue, but on these Benches we are also a bit impatient. Our concern regarding this clause is simply about…14 Jan 2025HANSARDWater (Special Measures) Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)I thank the hon. Member for her very reasonable intervention. In the extremely unlikely event that the Committee rejects my new clause today, we will of course submit our ideas to…14 Jan 2025HANSARDWater (Special Measures) Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)Thank you—I do not want to detain the Committee any longer than I need to. The new clauses are about a vexing and serious issue: the presence of polyfluorinated and perfluorinated…14 Jan 2025HANSARDWater (Special Measures) Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)I am not wedded to one model or another. Having said all that, water is blindingly obviously a natural monopoly and should not have been privatised in the first place. Can I give…14 Jan 2025HANSARDWater (Special Measures) Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)I am substantially reassured that the Minister is taking this issue seriously, and I am grateful that she is to meet my hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham, who has championed…14 Jan 2025HANSARDWater (Special Measures) Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)I am reassured to a large degree by what the Minister says, but I am concerned that it is not on the face of the Bill. Simply handing this over to Ofwat, given its track record,…14 Jan 2025HANSARDWater (Special Measures) Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)New clause 12 is a short, and I hope consensual, measure relating to chalk streams, which we have already discussed, and new clause 27 deals more widely with the powers of…14 Jan 2025