Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lauren Edwards and Emma Hardy

Thursday 18th December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lauren Edwards (Rochester and Strood) (Lab)]

7. What steps she is taking to clear waterways.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Emma Hardy)]

We will restore our waterways to places communities can be proud of, where nature flourishes. Our environmental improvement plan outlines actions to reduce the volume of rainwater and pollutants entering the sewerage system, and we are rebuilding the water network through a record £104 billion investment. That includes over £10 billion to reduce sewer discharges from over 2,500 storm overflows in England and £4.8 billion to reduce phosphorus pollution.

[Lauren Edwards]

Thank you, Mr Speaker, and merry Christmas.

Will the Minister outline how the Government are delivering a fairer system to clean up waterways such as the River Medway, which runs through my constituency? It saw over 200 sewage outflows in 2024 and the estimates for this year are even higher, while consumers are also facing rising bills over the next five years. Will she set out the support that will be available for consumers? A polluter should pay, and the water company should be diverting profits to improve its ageing infrastructure.

[Emma Hardy]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. I thank her for raising that important issue and for her work on it and her passion. She is right to point out as well that the Environment Agency budget was cut by half under the previous Government, which left it powerless to clamp down on polluting water companies. We have been clear that the amount of sewage discharged into our waters is unacceptable. That is why we have already banned unfair bonuses for water bosses, introduced tougher automatic penalties to clamp down on pollution and secured money to upgrade storm overflows across England.

But we are not stopping there, Mr Speaker; we don’t want to give you only that! We are going to give you more treats in the new year with our water White Paper, which will set out long term reforms to strengthen regulation, tackle pollution and accelerate the delivery of water infrastructure.

Illegal Waste: Organised Crime

Debate between Lauren Edwards and Emma Hardy

Monday 17th November 2025 Commons Chamber

[Emma Hardy]

The hon. Lady raises an important point. I am sorry to hear about the impact on a farm in her constituency. One of the most important reforms we can make is to the carrier, broker and dealer regime, to go from the current light-touch system to environmental permitting so that we can better track exactly when waste transfers from one place to another. That will mean tougher background checks for operators and tougher penalties for those who break the law.

[Lauren Edwards (Rochester and Strood) (Lab)]

Brambletree wharf in Borstal in my constituency has been blighted by an illegal tip for years. A council enforcement notice recently expired without the site being cleared, yet I have recently been informed that unfortunately the Environment Agency will not be prosecuting those responsible but will instead leave it to the local council. What steps will the Minister take to ensure that the Environment Agency uses all the powers at its disposal to tackle such criminal activity?

[Emma Hardy]

My hon. Friend raises an important issue. I am sorry to hear that there will not be a prosecution. She might want to write to the nature Minister with more details and information, as perhaps we could look at that in more detail than we have.