
Water industry review unlikely to spark required change, claims Feargal Sharkey
But former Undertones frontman Sharkey, who has become a leading campaigner for water companies to clean up their act, said he fears the highly anticipated report will be a 'flat pancake'.
He told the PA news agency: 'We were promised that the report will bring us champagne – but it will just be a saucer of milk.'
Sharkey, who has given evidence to MPs on the need for reform and has spoken at numerous public and trade union meetings, said he does not believe 'much will happen' as a result of the report's findings.
'Sir Jon's job is to make the current system better, but so many things have not been considered in his review, such as the ownership of the water companies.
'I also don't think you can talk about abolishing Ofwat without considering the future of the Environment Agency – and taking a long, hard look at the Environment Department (Defra), as well as the lack of action from government ministers for many years. They are just as culpable.'
Sharkey said governments have had the power to punish water companies over sewage pollution, or the 'scandal' of paying huge bonuses to bosses, but had chosen not to use them for years.
He believes the public and customers have been treated with 'contempt' by water companies for years despite outrage over sewage pollution of rivers and waterways.
He added the fact that the review had been held was a victory for the many small community groups across the country set up to tackle the crisis.
The review was commissioned by the UK and Welsh governments as part of their response to systemic industry failures, which include rising bills, record sewage spills and debt-ridden company finances, although ministers have ruled out nationalising companies.
A Government spokesperson pointed out that unfair bonuses have been banned for senior executives at six water companies under new measures which came into force last month.
The Government said at the time that transformative change across the water sector was needed to clean up rivers, lakes and seas, and modernise the sector for decades to come.
Under the rules, companies are not permitted to pay bonuses to water bosses that oversee poor environmental and customer outcomes.
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The Guardian
41 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Make wet wipe producers pay for polluting England's waterways, says report
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The Sun
41 minutes ago
- The Sun
Nine money changes happening in August including benefit that could be stopped worth £1,354.60 if you don't act NOW
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You'll need to set up a childcare account online and apply via or the HMRC app. Once approved, you'll get an 11-digit code to give your childcare provider as proof of eligibility. If your child turns 9 months old between April 1 and August 31, you must apply by August 31 to get free childcare starting in September. If you already receive 15 hours for your child under two, you'll automatically get 30 hours from September, but you still need to confirm your details and provide the code to your provider. Remember to apply early, ideally at least six weeks before the deadline. Some childcare providers ask for codes before the official deadline. Once you have your code, you'll need to reconfirm your details every three months to keep your place, although some providers may offer a short grace period. If you're starting a new job, returning from parental leave, or changing circumstances, deadlines vary - but August 31 is the key date for many parents wanting free childcare starting this autumn. You can apply or check eligibility here. Are you missing out on benefits? YOU can use a benefits calculator to help check that you are not missing out on money you are entitled to Charity Turn2Us' benefits calculator works out what you could get. Entitledto's free calculator determines whether you qualify for various benefits, tax credit and Universal Credit. and charity StepChange both have benefits tools powered by Entitledto's data. You can use Policy in Practice's calculator to determine which benefits you could receive and how much cash you'll have left over each month after paying for housing costs. Your exact entitlement will only be clear when you make a claim, but calculators can indicate what you might be eligible for.


Cambrian News
43 minutes ago
- Cambrian News
Expert group to look at how AI can improve public services in Wales
'The First Minister announced £2.5m for Welsh public services to ensure we are making the best use of AI; as well as the creation of a dedicated Office for AI within the Welsh Government.