Sir Ashley Fox

My constituency of Bridgwater has the Rivers Axe, Brue, Parrett and Tone within its boundaries, together with countless streams, brooks and rhynes. It is therefore of the utmost importance to my constituents that the water quality of our rivers is maintained and improved. The town of Burnham-on-Sea and Highbridge is a coastal resort, as are the villages of Berrow and Brean. It is important for the tourism industry, as well as the local people who enjoy those beaches, that we improve the quality of our bathing water, and I therefore welcome the Bill. We are told that it has four key aims: “To block the payment of bonuses to executives who pollute waterways; To bring criminal charges against persistent law breakers; To impose automatic and severe fines for wrongdoing; and To ensure independent monitoring of every” —sewer overflow—“outlet.” I welcome all those aims, building as they do on the work of the last Government to improve our water quality. I want to speak in favour of new clauses 16 and 19. New clause 16, entitled “Establishment of Water Restoration Fund”, establishes the principle that fines should go towards environmental improvement rather than to the Treasury. I am somewhat curious as to why the Government would not support that, but perhaps the Minister can explain when she responds to the debate. In November 2024, Wessex Water, which serves my constituency, was fined £500,000 for polluting two rivers, one in Wiltshire and one in Somerset. That money should be used to improve the local environment; it should not be swallowed up by the Treasury. New clause 19 states that when civil penalties are imposed, there should be an equivalent reduction in customer bills. That is important, because otherwise the water company that has been fined will simply pass on that fine to the consumers; the new clause would ensure that there was no penalty for the customer. I am curious, again, to know why the Government would oppose new clause 19—along with new clause 16—and I look forward to hearing the Minister’s explanation.