Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
(Dr Thérèse Coffey): On
Wednesday 30 November the Department for Environment, Food &
Rural Affairs announced that future funding from fines handed out
to water companies that pollute our rivers and seas will be
invested in schemes that benefit our natural environment.
At present, money from fines imposed by Ofwat and those arising
from Environment Agency prosecutions is returned to the Treasury.
Under the new plans, ringfenced funds will be invested directly
into environmental and water quality improvement projects.
Further details on the plans will follow next year.
Since 2015, the Environment Agency has concluded 56 prosecutions
against water and sewerage companies, securing fines of over
£141m. Defra is bringing forward proposals to raise the civil
penalty for water companies who pollute the environment.
We are going further and faster than any other government to
protect and enhance the health of our rivers and seas. Our new
Environment Act puts in place more protections against water
pollution than ever before.
The government has also launched an ambitious plan to tackle
sewage discharges from storm overflows. The Storm Overflows
Discharge Reduction Plan will require water companies to deliver
the largest infrastructure programme in water company history – a
£56 billion capital investment by 2050.
