Last weekend a small number of Extinction Rebellion activists staged a stunt outside my office in Yeovil. Similar things happened in other parts of the country as part of the ongoing campaign of lies to make people think MPs don't care about the environment and water quality in particular. I would like to set out the facts of what has happened so far, and what the Government will do in the future.
Firstly, I should say that although this campaign has attracted a crackpot coalition (Extinction Rebellion, Surfers Against Sewage - most of whom who don’t surf other than on Twitter, the Liberal Democrats and members of the House of Lords where it originated), I can understand why people would be alarmed if the allegations were true.
In fact, the Government is delivering the biggest plan in history to tackle storm sewage discharges. These cannot simply be stopped because storm water and sewage lines are not separate and backup into houses and streets would occur.
Since 2016 we have increased monitoring of overflow usage from 6% to almost 90% so we know a lot more about the scale of the task. We are requiring water companies to make their largest ever investment to increase capacity. It has to be done over time to be practically achievable in terms of works and not completely unaffordable. We are increasing funding for Environment Agency inspections. Hefty fines for water company pollution are ringfenced to be spent on future environmental projects. Targets also include reducing phosphate in treated wastewater by 80% which is good for both wetlands and local builders. Opposition parties voted against all these things.
The amendment we couldn't support which was the source of all the misinformation about MP voting ignored all that and fixated on making companies take “all reasonable steps” to stop overflow discharges. This would have meant endless legal argument over responsibility and timing and the investment we need would have dried up.
The Government has also just launched its Environmental Improvement Plan with further measures to restore and support the natural environment. All these measures will take work, support and monitoring but together are a huge positive intervention that builds on other measures such as reducing single use plastics and our work internationally on climate and species preservation.
This week I had good meetings with our local Crime Reduction Team and Firefighters, as well as Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Shelford. Anti-social behaviour is one of the top issues people raise across the country and it’s going to be important for projects like Yeovil Refresh that it is dealt with. Since 2019 Avon and Somerset Police have recruited 412 extra officers which will be a huge help in tackling crime and keeping our streets safe, but the District Council needs to step up and enforce it bylaws, keep CCTV working and clear up its works mess.
Finally, in Parliament this week I had a good meeting with Ministers from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, raising help for local sports clubs, including YTFC, and also the need for renewed support for broadband rollout.