Found: 0)20 7219 4043 Social: @JointCtteeNSS parliament.uk Monday 13 October 2025 Rt Hon Steve Reed

Found: Steve Reed MP, met Prime Minister Ramgoolam at the UN Ocean Conference in June and discussed cooperation

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to take steps to strengthen the accountability of water companies for pollution other than by implementing a (a) self-monitoring and (b) fines system.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

This Government has put in place the building blocks to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas. The Water (Special Measures) Act provides the most significant increase in enforcement powers for the regulators in a decade, giving them the teeth they need to take tougher action against water companies.

The Act has introduced independent monitoring of every sewerage outlet, with water companies required to publish near real-time data (within an hour of a discharge occurring) for all emergency overflows, matching the pre-existing duty and meeting the Government commitment to ensure monitoring of every outlet.

The Act banned unfair bonuses for ten polluting water bosses this year and introduced prison sentences for executives who cover up sewage spills - closing the gaps that have allowed companies to get away with behaviours that are unacceptable.

The Independent Water Commission examined how to strengthen the regulation even further. The former Secretary of State provided an Oral Statement to Parliament in response to the final report and the Government will be taking forward a number of recommendations.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to increase the accountability of water companies for pollution.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

This Government has put in place the building blocks to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas. The Water (Special Measures) Act provides the most significant increase in enforcement powers for the regulators in a decade, giving them the teeth they need to take tougher action against water companies.

The Act has introduced independent monitoring of every sewerage outlet, with water companies required to publish near real-time data (within an hour of a discharge occurring) for all emergency overflows, matching the pre-existing duty and meeting the Government commitment to ensure monitoring of every outlet.

The Act banned unfair bonuses for ten polluting water bosses this year and introduced prison sentences for executives who cover up sewage spills - closing the gaps that have allowed companies to get away with behaviours that are unacceptable.

The Independent Water Commission examined how to strengthen the regulation even further. The former Secretary of State provided an Oral Statement to Parliament in response to the final report and the Government will be taking forward a number of recommendations.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of water companies' self-monitoring of (a) discharges and (b) pollution incidents.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

This Government has put in place the building blocks to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas. The Water (Special Measures) Act provides the most significant increase in enforcement powers for the regulators in a decade, giving them the teeth they need to take tougher action against water companies.

The Act has introduced independent monitoring of every sewerage outlet, with water companies required to publish near real-time data (within an hour of a discharge occurring) for all emergency overflows, matching the pre-existing duty and meeting the Government commitment to ensure monitoring of every outlet.

The Act banned unfair bonuses for ten polluting water bosses this year and introduced prison sentences for executives who cover up sewage spills - closing the gaps that have allowed companies to get away with behaviours that are unacceptable.

The Independent Water Commission examined how to strengthen the regulation even further. The former Secretary of State provided an Oral Statement to Parliament in response to the final report and Government will be taking forward a number of recommendations.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the Environment Agency increases (a) routine monitoring and (b) inspection of rivers.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Water (Special Measures) Act has introduced independent monitoring of every sewerage outlet, with water companies required to publish near real-time data (within an hour of a discharge occurring) for all emergency overflows, matching the pre-existing duty and meeting the government commitment to ensure monitoring of every outlet.

The Environment Agency (EA) has increased its water quality charges to £149 million from 2025-26, ensuring water companies pay the cost of regulating the sector. These charges include permit charges on water companies for inspections and the new enforcement levy, which will enable EA to recover the costs of their enforcement activity.

The Independent Water Commission has examined how to strengthen the regulation and delivery of water services to better support long-term water security, sustainable growth, and environmental protection. The Former Secretary of State provided an Oral Statement to Parliament in response to the final report and government will be taking forward a number of recommendations.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with Northumbrian Water on sewage from storm overflows in the Ouseburn.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Ministers and officials have regular discussions with a range of stakeholders, including water companies, on many issues related to the water sector including sewage pollution.

This Government has put in place the building blocks to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas.

The Water (Special Measures) Act introduced independent monitoring of every sewerage outlet, with water companies required to publish real-time data for all emergency overflows. This matches the pre-existing duty for storm overflows and create an unprecedented level of transparency. This will meet the Government commitment to ensure monitoring of every outlet.

The Independent Water Commission has examined how to strengthen the regulation and delivery of water services to better support long-term water security, sustainable growth, and environmental protection. The Former Secretary of State provided an Oral Statement to Parliament in response to the final report.

As Part of Price Review 24, which runs from 2025-2030, Northumbrian Water will be investing £1.1 billion to reduce the use of storm overflows by delivering on 159 spill reduction schemes. Northumbrian Water across 2025-2030 will undertake multiple site specific investigations in respect of the effects of intermittent discharges in respect of Environment Act objectives.

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