Oral Answers to Questions

Catherine Fookes Excerpts

Thursday 19th June 2025 Commons Chamber

[Daniel Zeichner]

The hon. Gentleman makes an important point. It is exactly why we wanted to improve our relationship with the European Union. We have negotiated and are undertaking further negotiations to improve those systems to very much help people to achieve that. We genuinely believe there are real opportunities here if we can eliminate some of the unnecessary bureaucracy.

[Catherine Fookes (Monmouthshire) (Lab)]

9. What steps he is taking to tackle river pollution.

[The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Steve Reed)]

My 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 crackdown on water pollution in history: unfair bonuses have been banned for water company executives, and water bosses who cover up pollution crimes now face up to two years in prison. We will also invest a record £104 billion of private funding to upgrade crumbling sewage pipes and reduce discharges by nearly 50% within five years.

[Catherine Fookes]

I remain extremely grateful for the £100 million of support the Government have given to the River Wye action plan—a pioneering joint effort between the UK and Welsh Governments—but we must do more, including using sustainable farming initiatives to support farmers to look at their stocking rates. I am concerned by reports of Thames Water seeking regulatory easements. Can the Secretary of State assure me that this Government will continue to crack down on water pollution from all sources, in the Wye, the Thames and all across the UK?

[Steve Reed]

I 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 must meet its statutory and regulatory obligations to its customers and to the environment—it is only right that the company is subject to the same consequences as any other water company. The company remains financially stable, but we have stepped up our preparations and stand ready for all eventualities, as I have said before, including a special administration regime, if that were to become necessary.

--- Later in debate ---

The Solicitor General was asked—

[Catherine Fookes (Monmouthshire) (Lab)]

1. What steps she is taking to help increase prosecution rates for cases involving violence against women and girls.

[Katie White (Leeds North West) (Lab)]

7. What steps she is taking to help increase prosecution rates for cases involving violence against women and girls.[R]

[The Solicitor General (Lucy Rigby)]

This Government were elected with a landmark mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade. Despite the challenges we inherited, we have recently secured a record funding settlement for the Crown Prosecution Service, which will allow it to hire more prosecutors and play its part in rebuilding a criminal justice system that truly delivers for victims.

[Catherine Fookes]

I was glad to hear, after I raised this matter for the first time in November, of the launch of the west midlands pilot of the victims’ right to review scheme, which will give victims of rape and serious sexual violence an opportunity to challenge a prosecutor’s decision to drop their case. However, too many victims have already waited a huge amount of time to get any opportunity for justice, including those in my constituency of Monmouthshire. After being reported to the police, adult rape cases take an average of two years to complete in court. What work are the Government doing to reduce those waiting times?

[The Solicitor General]

My hon. Friend raises a very important issue. I know from meeting rape charities, and indeed from meeting CPS units right across the country, how long waits for justice harm victims and sometimes mean that they drop out of cases altogether. The Government and the CPS are taking action to reduce delays, including by increasing the number of Crown court sitting days and the number of counsel available to prosecute rape and serious sexual assault cases.