Dear Constituent,
Thank you for contacting me about water companies and water bills.
I appreciate your concern about reports that water bills are due to increase significantly in the coming years.
The last Government also began the vital reform to make our waterways fit for the future, and the new Government had come into office on the promise of protecting bill payers. Locally, I have had meetings with Anglia Water to discuss the ongoing efforts to tackle overflows and find out more about their plans to invest to modernise local water treatment facilities. You can read more about this here: www.richardfuller.co.uk/campaigns/wastewater-overflows-and-flooding-0
However, under the new Government the average bill for consumers is now expected to go up 36 per cent over the next five years - an average of £31 per year - despite the Environment Secretary's promise that 'polluters must pay'.
I hope the Government begins work as soon as possible to deliver on their promises to improve the water industry. I, and my colleagues in Parliament, will be holding them to account to deliver on their commitments.
Finally, with regard to the Government’s Water (Special Measures) Bill, I welcome some of the amendments that have already improved the Bill. For example, in the House of Lords Opposition Peers argued strongly that the Bill as drafted was deficient in that it lacked a provision requiring the water companies to implement the Pollution Incident Reduction Plans that are established as a statutory duty for water companies to produce under the Bill. As a result, the CEO is now responsible for the plans. I and my Opposition colleagues will continue to scrutinise the Bill and push for improvements.
Thank you for taking the time to contact me.
Sincerely,
