Member

However, the public have been clear on the need for change, and the Government acknowledge that we need to act quickly. To paint a perhaps rather stark picture, water and sewerage companies in England paid out a total of more than £40 million in executive bonuses, benefits and incentives for the financial years 2021-22 and 2022-23. Meanwhile, from 2021 to 2023 the companies recorded a total of 168 serious pollution incidents, according to data from the Environment Agency. We believe that this is clearly not acceptable, and decisive action is required. I trust that the noble Lord, Lord Remnant, will understand how seriously the Government are taking performance across the water sector, and therefore why we cannot accept his amendment.