Labour will table a motion to the House of Commons calling on the
government to give the water regulator powers to ban the payment
of bonuses to water bosses who are polluting our rivers, lakes
and seas.
The party will use an Opposition Day Debate on Tuesday to bring
forward a motion that would extend Ofwat powers to punish
companies discharging significant levels of raw sewage into the
UK's waterways.
This comes as a BBC Panorama investigation found evidence of a
water company covering up illegal sewage discharges, making
sewage pollution disappear from the official figures.
Whistle-blowers at the Environment Agency told Panorama a water
company was wrongly downgrading pollution incidents, and that the
agency was failing to conduct independent checks.
Labour’s Shadow Environment Secretary, , has outlined plans to end
years of Conservative negligence and put the water industry under
special measures.
By expanding the regulatory powers of Ofwat, water bosses who
fail to meet high environmental standards on sewage pollution
will be met with significant sanctions to ensure they cannot
profit from breaking the law.
While the Tories have allowed Britain's waterways to become an
open sewer, under Labour’s new plans, Ofwat would have been able
to block six out of nine water bosses' bonuses last year due to
high levels of pollution into our rivers, lakes and seas.
This comes as water companies asked customers to pay an extra
£156 a year, despite water bosses pocketing millions in bonuses.
According to company reports from 2021-22, the bonus pool for
executives stood at an average of more than £600,000 at each
company. In total, 22 water bosses paid themselves £24.8m,
including £14.7m in bonuses, benefits and incentives, in 2021-22.
This is part of Labour’s wider plan to put the water industry
under special measures:
- End self-monitoring and force all companies to monitor every
single water outlet.
- Ensure that water bosses will face personal criminal
liability for extreme and persistent lawbreaking.
- Introducing severe and automatic fines for illegal discharges
that water bosses cannot ignore.
Labour’s Shadow Environment Secretary, , said:
“This Conservative Government has wilfully turned a blind eye to
negligence at the heart of the water industry.
“The result is stinking, toxic sewage destroying our countryside,
and consumers facing higher bills while water bosses pocket
millions in bonuses.
“With Labour, the polluter - not the public - will pay. Water
companies must immediately be placed under special measures.
“Labour will strengthen regulation to make sure every single
water outlet is monitored so we know the true extent of this
sewage crisis. Water bosses who continue to oversee law-breaking
on the scale now becoming apparent will face criminal charges,
and we will give the water regulator powers to block payment of
any bonuses until water bosses have cleaned up their filth.”
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