Dave Robertson demands action over 3,000 hours of sewage spilled in just one ward

Lichfield's MP has called for water bosses to face the consequences of their failures over the last 14 years. 

Mr Robertson, who represents Lichfield, Burntwood and surrounding villages, wants action to be taken to stop the huge amount of sewage spills in his constituency. 

Speaking in Parliament yesterday, the Labour MP said: “There are 21 local government wards that make up my constituency of Lichfield. In just one of them, Bagots and Needwood, they were subjected to 3,000 hours of sewage spills in just one year.  

“Can the Secretary of State assure me that after 14 years of failure from the party opposite, this commission will leave nowhere to hide for criminal water bosses?” 

Steve Reed, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said: “That is absolutely [an] intention.”  

Since taking office, the Labour government has taken urgent action to crack down on polluting water companies, introducing major new legislation with powers to bring criminal charges against water bosses and ban bonuses.  

Mr Robertson’s intervention came on the day the UK and Welsh Labour governments launched a new Independent Water Commission to review the water industry and ensure the necessary regulations are brought in to clean up our waterways.  

It follows the publication of data that reveals record levels of sewage were pumped into Britain's rivers in 2023, the final full year of the Conservative government. 

The number of sewage discharges in Mr Robertson’s constituency skyrocketed by 67%, to 560 sewage spills in 2023 compared to 336 in 2022.  

That is an equivalent of 5,427 hours of sewage spilling into our waterways in 2023 - an increase of 71% since 2022. 

The Independent Water Commission will report back next year with recommendations to the government on how to tackle the challenges it has inherited, and those of the future, to restore our rivers, lakes and seas to good health. 

The recommendations will form the basis of further legislation to attract long-term investment and clean up our waters for good – injecting billions of pounds into the economy, speeding up  delivery on infrastructure to support house building and addressing water scarcity. 

The Commission will be chaired by Jon Cunliffe, former Deputy Bank of England Governor, with decades of economic and regulatory experience. 

Launching the review, Mr Reed said: “After years of neglect, our waterways are now in an unacceptable state and our water system urgently needs fixing.  

“That is why we have launched a Water Commission to attract the investment we need to clean up our waterways and speed up infrastructure delivery. 

"Following the Commission’s conclusion, the government will introduce ambitious legislation to restore confidence in the sector once and for all.”