Kirith Entwistle
Main Page: Kirith Entwistle (Labour - Bolton North East)Department Debates - View all Kirith Entwistle's debates with the Leader of the House
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Kirith Entwistle (Bolton North East) (Lab)
I stood on a promise to stop sewage polluting our waterways in Bolton, and under this Labour Government I am delighted that we are turning that pledge into action. Last year alone, 295 days-worth of sewage was dumped into Bolton’s waterways. That is nothing short of a disgrace. I welcome the decision to block bonuses for United Utilities bosses, whose shameful record has gone unchecked for far too long. When asked to fix the problem, they pleaded poverty while pocketing massive bonuses. As a fellow north-west MP, does my right hon. Friend agree that it is high time United Utilities was held to account and stopped profiting from environmental destruction?
Lucy Powell
My hon. Friend is right to raise this issue. What has happened in our waterways in recent years—the pollution and the discharges—is absolutely shocking. I am so proud that one of the first acts of this Labour Government was to introduce the Water (Special Measures) Bill, which is now an Act. That has given us the powers to tackle the erroneous and unwarranted bonuses of water companies such as United Utilities, and I am really glad to see the Act in action.