Thank you for contacting me about sewage and storm overflows.
The Channel 4 programme, 'Dirty Business’ raised awareness to some of the concerns about sewage spills.
Let me be clear that sewage in our rivers is unacceptable. It is important that we tackle storm overflows and protect public health and the environment from discharges.
The last Government made progress in addressing storm overflows. When Labour was last in Government in 2010, just 7 per cent of storm overflows were monitored. To put it another way, 93 per cent of sewage discharges were happening with no oversight and no accountability whatsoever. The only reason we now know the scale of the problem is because, under the last Government, monitoring was increased to 100 per cent in 2023.
The previous Conservatives Government was the first government in history to set out its expectation that water companies must act to significantly reduce storm overflows. One of the many actions taken was passing the Environment Act 2021. This Act gave stronger powers to regulators and stronger powers for tackling pollution and ensuring greater transparency so that we can hold water companies and polluters to account.
The previous Government 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 to hold water companies to account. These fines and penalties were ringfenced to the Water Restoration Fund. The fund offers grant funding on a competitive basis to support local groups, farmers and landowners and community-led schemes, boosting their capacity to improve the water environment. The projects range from those that seek to increase biodiversity, to restoring floodplains.
During the passage of the Water (Special Measures) Act, it was disappointing that the new Labour Government did not support the amendment which HM Official Opposition tabled which sought to put the Water Restoration Fund on a statutory footing.
I do not want people to be required to check the level of sewage discharge at their local beach before deciding whether to make the trip. However, to make this a reality, the Labour Government needs build on the work started by the previous Government and work at pace and take action immediately to improve the infrastructure, the regulations, and to get a grip of the situation.
As you may know, the Government's independent review of the water industry was published on 21 July 2025. The review outlines 88 recommendations and represents one of the most detailed examinations of the water sector since privatisation. Recommendations include a single regulator to improve efforts in holding water companies to account.
In January 2026, the Government finally published its Water White Paper in response to the independent review, containing some elements I cautiously welcome including having a single regulator for water. The success of cleaning up our waterways, however, will be in the delivery, efficiency and effectiveness of the Government's action which I currently believe is going too slowly.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
