In the article below the Health Secretary, Victoria Atkins, is reported as saying there will be “very, very hard questions” for South West Water over the outbreak of cases of cryptosporidium.

Owl thinks equally hard questions need to be addressed to her and Conservative governments past and present. There’s the 1989 privatisation in the first place: with all debts being placed on the shoulders of taxpayers and the new companies given a £1.5bn “green dowry” as well;, followed by austerity cuts and “light touch” regulation.

Victoria Atkins was elected to parliament in 2015 and appointed as a junior minister in 2017 when austerity was still being pushed hard.

Did she, for example, follow the whip over watering down attempts to toughen regulation and targets on pollution alongside Simon Jupp? – Owl

Health Secretary looks into the South West water crisis

Tim Herbert www.midweekherald.co.uk

Health Secretary Victoria Atkins said there will be “very, very hard questions” for South West Water over the outbreak of cases of cryptosporidium, a waterborne disease caused by a microscopic parasite, confirmed in the Brixham area of Devon, writes PA.

Speaking to reporters during a visit to the University of Exeter, Ms Atkins said: “There will be very, very hard questions for South West Water to answer. At the moment I think we probably need to give them the space to conduct their investigation; we know that they have identified the source.

“The public will want to know how on earth that source happened, what was the chain of events that led to this, because of course we all understand the expectation that we all have when we turn our taps on is that (we get) clean drinking water and we want to be able to trust it.”

She added: “Outbreaks such as this are very, very unusual in our drinking water. The authorities are looking into this very carefully. People must please follow the advice for the time being and as the investigation proceeds, more answers will be obtained for the public.”