Westminster Life: Restoring our rivers
Last week, I challenged the bosses of Thames Water about their bonuses and their lack of action on pumping sewage into our rivers, writes Andrew Pakes MP.
The water industry is broken, not just Thames Water. As an MP, I sit on the Environment Select Committee and for months we have hauled water company bosses, including for Anglian Water, before our committee to answer for their actions.
From sewage washed into our seas to record levels of pollution in the Nene and other rivers, the water industry has become a byword for failed privatisation. Our rivers, lakes, and seas are facing unprecedented levels of pollution. Water infrastructure has been left to crumble, while soaring bills are hitting families harder than ever.
Earlier this year, I helped shape the Water Special Measures Bill in Parliament. This law lets us ban water executives from taking bonuses while sewage pollution remains at such damaging levels. Anglian Water’s chief executive, Mark Thurston, is one of the first to have his bonus cancelled under the new measures.
Though not the worst offender, Anglian Water has been responsible for serious pollution incidents in our region. Today’s action against its chief executive for last year’s unacceptable pollution near Peterborough shows that accountability is possible.
The new rules are backdated to cover bonuses relating to the financial year starting in April 2024. For Anglian Water, this follows a decade in which the company paid out nearly £17 million in bonuses to its executives.
However, the Government acknowledges these changes need to go further. Following this week’s report from the Independent Water Commission, the Government is planning to abolish Ofwat and set up a new regulator with the power to clean up our rivers. I support nationalising our vital water assets, but the cost is currently too high, so our focus must remain on restoring our rivers.
Ministers set a clear pledge: sewage pollution from water companies will be cut in half by the end of the decade. In one of the largest infrastructure projects in British history, a record £104 billion will be invested to upgrade crumbling pipes and build new sewage treatment works, cutting the amount of sewage polluting our rivers.
Over the past year, the Government has introduced a package of measures to slash pollution levels. Bills are now ringfenced to force companies to invest in upgrades, and over £100 million of water fines are funding local clean-up projects.
I will continue to put pressure on Government to move faster, protect our rivers, and support our drainage boards, which are so important to us locally. I want to see the Fens Reservoir built and to see it creating new skilled jobs for locals. We have not built a reservoir in this country since 1992, a sign both of government failure and the failure of water privatization. That is why this overhaul is so important; it gives us a chance to protect our community and our environment, safeguarding them for future generations.