Oral Answers to Questions Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Simon Hoare
Main Page: Simon Hoare (Conservative - North Dorset)Department Debates - View all Simon Hoare's debates with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
(2 days, 2 hours ago)
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Steve Reed
Nationalisation is not the answer, because it would require handing over more than £100 billion to water company owners that could only be raised through higher taxation or cuts to vital public services. It would also take years of legal wrangling that would see the brakes slammed on investment, causing pollution to get worse and, ultimately, lead to higher bills for customers. This Government are taking the fastest possible route towards cleaner water and fairer bills.
Simon Hoare (North Dorset) (Con)
We in North Dorset would love to be talking about ministerial visits from the DEFRA team, but, despite an invitation to the Farming Minister, none have crossed the border to visit.
North Dorset farmers and landowners wish to play their active and fullest part to ensure that, through nitrate neutrality and other farming mechanisms, they are improving water quality to help the rivers that flow to the coast of Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole and so on. Will the Secretary of State ensure that bodies such as the Environment Agency and others that advise our farmers provide consistent advice in a timely fashion in order to maximise their enthusiasm?
