Richard Foord raises new sewage spill report in Parliament

Honiton MP Richard Foord is going to raise the topic of the Surfers Against Sewage report in Parliament today, (Thursday).

Water pollution is the result of underinvestment, this public utility has been asset stripped by privatisation. It is subject to weak “light touch” regulation, and chronic underfunding of the Environment Agency.

As a “newly promoted” PPS, Simon Jupp is not free to criticise his government on such fundamental policy issues. So he is unlikely to intervene.

PPSs aren’t exactly “free to speak and free to act.”

Tough luck for Budleigh and Exmouth residents. – Owl

Adam Manning www.midweekherald.co.uk

The report found that South West Water was the second worst offender in the country and gives evidence of people becoming sick from swimming in polluted water. 

The new report uncovers evidence of illegal “dry spills” of sewage into the sea at Exmouth, Sidmouth, Budleigh Salterton and Sandy Bay among spills in rivers, lakes and coastlines across the UK.

The Liberal Democrat MP represents Tiverton & Honiton, where local rivers and beaches have been plagued with sewage spills and his son also became ill after swimming in a local river this summer.

Liberal Democrat MP for Tiverton and Honiton Richard Foord said: “Our children should not be getting sick from spending time in nature or building sandcastles next to sewage.

“This is an environmental scandal. I will be seeking to raise this report in Parliament today and calling on Ministers to explain why water companies are getting away with making these illegal ‘dry spills’. 

“It is deeply shocking to hear people from across the South West, the Lake District and beyond have become sick from swimming in lakes and coastlines as a result of these ‘dry spills’. My own son became ill swimming in a Devon river.

“Months of chaos in Government and an ever-changing cast of Environment Secretaries has meant that instead of action taken to hold water companies to account, we have only seen empty threats from Government. Those MPs who voted against a ban on these sewage discharges last year should hang their heads in shame. 

“The time is now to save Britain’s wild swimming spots and wildlife. This is a wake-up call to Conservative Ministers whose instinct is to do nothing.”