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Jess Brown-Fuller MP calls on Prime Minister to get to grips with water industry
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
Jess Brown-Fuller has urged Andy Burnham to take decisive action to address the failures of the water industry, pressing him on his first day in Parliament as Prime Minister to set out a timescale for reform.
Following the Prime Minister’s opening statement in the House of Commons, Jess highlighted the persistent discharge of sewage by Southern Water into Chichester’s local waterways, and challenged him on the continued lack of robust regulation.
Jess said:
“As the Prime Minister looks ahead to what is predicted to be one of the wettest winters on record, my constituents are expecting more of the same: Southern Water pumping sewage into our precious chalk stream, the River Lavant, which feeds directly into Chichester harbour.
“What does he believe is an acceptable timescale to get to grips with the water industry and regulate it properly, rather than a review that has delayed everything and is limited in scope?”
In response, the Prime Minister stated that that the Government would come forward with its proposals “soon” and acknowledged that the Cunliffe Review, which sets out recommendations for water sector reform, was “too limited” and “should have looked at all options for the water industry”.
The Liberal Democrats have led the campaign in Parliament against the sewage scandal and have long called for more ambitious action to improve water quality. This includes banning bonuses paid to water company bosses until sewage dumping ends, strengthening powers for communities and local authorities to hold water companies accountable, and introducing a new ‘blue flag’ status for chalk streams such as the River Lavant.
Jess has also recently called on the Environment Agency to introduce a phosphate permit for the River Lavant, to strengthen monitoring of water quality and tackle nutrient pollution caused by Southern Water.
After Jess said,
“People are fed up with false promises when it comes to water. Residents in Chichester face sky-high bills while effluent water is continually pumped into our precious waterways.
“Keir Starmer promised to deal with the industry, but he failed. The industry is failing customers. We need a new model, and we need it now.
“I hope the new Prime Minister sticks to his word and finally gets a grip on the situation once and for all.”
