MPs from across the political spectrum had the chance to vote and ensure that targets for water companies to reduce sewage discharges are made mandatory and placed into UK law.
The Water Quality (Sewage discharge): motion as amended was supported by 278 Conservative Members of Parliament, alongside 4 Independent MPs. All other political parties abstained.
The vote also ensured that financial penalties for water companies re. sewage discharges and breaches of monitoring requirements were included in the provision.
Jonathan said that "Fortunately, the vote passed, and now the Government will go even further than their previous measures that gave the water regulator, Ofwat, the mandate to take firm action and to levy huge fines against the water companies for discharges. Over the last few months, there’s been a lot of misinformation about sewage overflows but I have always been clear that I have voted, and will continue to vote, to protect our waterways".
