Dominic Raab MP fails to turn up to Parliament for crucial vote to criminalise water companies for sewage spills

Dominic Raab MP fails to turn up to Parliament for crucial vote to criminalise water companies for sewage spills

  • Liberal Democrat amendment in Parliament would have seen water companies in court for worst sewage offences

  • Environment Agency backs calls for water company bosses to face criminal action

  • Conservative MPs vote down “justice for swimmers, wildlife and our natural environment.”

  • Esher and Walton’s Conservative MP didn’t turn up to vote, despite sewage pollution in his constituency trebling in the last year.

On Wednesday, Conservative MPs voted against a new law which would have seen water companies in court for sewage spills.

Esher and Walton MP Dominic Raab, who has taken on two lucrative jobs since the start of this year, wasn’t in Parliament for the debate.

The vote in Parliament took place on the same day a BBC report found sewage had been illegally dumped in the UNESCO protected Lake Windermere in the Lake District.

The new law would have created criminal offences for failing to meet pollution performance commitment levels, ensuring the polluting firms would go to court and face punishments including fines.

The Environment Agency has previously called on water company Chief Executives and board members to face criminal charges, including court imposed fines.

Despite cross-party support for the amendment, over 250 Conservative MPs voted against it. Esher and Walton’s Conservative MP Dominic Raab did not turn up to vote - despite recent figures showing that the volume of sewage dumped into the River Mole, in the heart of his constituency, has trebled in the past year.

Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Esher and Walton, Monica Harding, said:

“It is shocking that - when given the opportunity to vote for tough action on polluting water companies over their shocking record on sewage - our local Conservative MP, Dominic Raab, didn’t even turn up to Parliament.

“This is a national scandal which has blighted our own community. Water companies should have their day in court for environmental vandalism.

“This law would have delivered justice for swimmers, wildlife and local rivers. Yet Conservative MPs shamelessly opposed it and our local MP was AWOL. Dominic Raab simply doesn't care about our environment and protecting swimmers.

“Our community needs a new MP who will actually get tough on water firms, rather than one who is spending over a week every month doing two other lucrative jobs instead of representing his constituents and their priorities. At the next General Election, I will pledge to stand up for our environment and vote to get a grip on polluting companies.”

Notes to Editor:

Full list of how MPs voted: click here

https://votes.parliament.uk/votes/commons/division/1817#noes

Dominic Raab has two jobs in addition to his role as a constituency MP. In January, he started work as a Senior Strategic Advisor on Global Affairs to a private equity company, for 44 hours a month at £118,000 a year. In April, he took on an additional consultancy job with the World Gold Council on a retainer of £100,000 for 66 hours’ work over 5 months. https://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/24815/dominic_raab/esher_and_walton#register

Latest pollution figures for the River Mole in Esher and Walton https://www.elmbridgelibdems.org.uk/news/article/sewage-pollution-in-the-river-mole-at-esher-trebles-in-a-year

Amendment from Liberal Democrat MP Tim Farron

“Offence of failing to meet pollution performance commitment levels

A water or water and sewerage company “C” commits an offence where C has –

failed to meet its pollution performance commitment level for three consecutive years; or

experienced an increase in –

total pollution incidents per 10,000km2, or

serious pollution incidents

for three consecutive years.

For the purposes of this section –

“water or water and sewerage company” means companies which are responsible for the provision of water, or water and sewerage, services and which are regulated by Ofwat and the Environment Agency;

“pollution performance commitment level” means the level of performance on pollution that the company has committed to deliver, and which is reported against by Ofwat in its annual water company performance report;

“total pollution incidents per 10,000km2” and “serious pollution incidents” mean the relevant figures under those headings reported by the Environment Agency in its annual environmental performance report.

If guilty of an offence under this section, C is liable –

on summary conviction, to a fine;

on conviction on indictment, to a fine.

Esher & Walton, EnvironmentMonica HardingElmbridge Liberal DemocratsRivers, Sewage, Raab