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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that the polluter pays principle is upheld on sewage releases.

The Government is clear that water companies must not profit from environmental damage and that those responsible for pollution must pay. On 12 February, we announced that Ofwat will be consulting on banning water bosses from receiving bonuses if a company has committed a serious criminal breach. This builds on Ofwat’s announcements last year to tighten restrictions on bonuses and dividends so that consumer bills never reward pollution.

We have also legislated to introduce unlimited penalties on water companies who breach their environmental permits and expand the range of offences to which penalties can be applied, giving the Environment Agency the tools, they need to hold water companies to account. Fines and penalties will be reinvested into cleaning our rivers through the establishment of a Water Restoration Fund (WRF), as outlined in the Plan for Water. Further information on the WRF will be provided in due course.