Latest news with #SteveReed
The Guardian
a day ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Charity in legal action against minister for failing to act over Thames Water
A river charity is taking legal action against the environment secretary, Steve Reed, accusing him of an unlawful failure to publish his policy on taking failing water companies into temporary nationalisation. Lawyers for River Action argue that Thames Water has breached its duties and violated its licence conditions seriously and repeatedly, making it the clearest possible case for special administration. Special administration is a temporary insolvency and restructuring process for companies that provide essential public services such as water, energy and transport. It is designed to ensure continuity of service while the company is stabilised and restructured. There is a bespoke special administration regime (SAR) for the water industry, which was created in 1991 and is designed to prioritise customers and services while putting financial interests second. Reed has said that the government is stepping up preparations to take Thames Water into special administration, indicating he will reject pleas from the company's creditors for leniency from fines and penalties. Thames Water's largest creditors control the utility and have made efforts to cut some of its debts and have offered to provide £5.3bn in new funding to try to turn it around. But River Action's head of legal, Emma Dearnaley, said the time to use the SAR process was now. 'Enough is enough,' she said. 'Why hasn't the secretary of state used special administration to fix the water sector, starting with Thames Water? 'The government has the power but won't use it, or even explain when it might trigger this process. Apparently, the government has no policy at all. That's a fundamental failure of transparency and accountability, and it's unlawful.' River Action has lodged an application for a judicial review against the secretary of state. The claim argues that the government has failed to publish its policy on when it would use the SAR process, breaching core public law duties, and that ministers have failed to develop a policy at all, breaching obligations under habitats regulations and other planning and environmental laws. Under section 24 of the Water Industry Act 1991, special administration can be triggered by a water company's failure to meet performance standards, including environmental pollution, and a breach of its statutory or licence duties in ways that are 'serious enough to make it inappropriate for the company to continue to hold its licence'. Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion River Action argues that Thames Water clearly meets that threshold and has done so for years. Serious pollution incidents by Thames and other water companies were up 60% last year compared with the year before, data has revealed. There were 75 serious pollution incidents in 2024, up from 47 in 2023, Environment Agency figures show. Three companies were responsible for 61, or 81%, of the incidents: : Thames Water with 33, Southern Water, 15, and Yorkshire Water, 13. Thames Water's serious incidents more than doubled. A spokesperson for the government said: 'We are unable to comment on an ongoing legal challenge.' Thames Water was approached for comment.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Climate
- The Guardian
England's farmers to get new payments for cleaning up waterways on their land
Farmers in England will get new payments for cleaning up the waterways near their land, the environment secretary has said. Agricultural pollution affects 40% of Britain's lakes and rivers, as fertiliser and animal waste washes off the land into waterways. Speaking at the National Farmers' Union water summit at Beeston Hall farm in West Yorkshire, Steve Reed said his department would be launching changes to the sustainable farming incentive (SFI) scheme that replaced EU subsidies. The SFI, which pays farmers to look after the environment, was frozen this year in a surprise move. The scheme is expected to reopen next year. Reed said: 'We also have to work with the farming sector to tackle pollution from agriculture. We are looking at how we can reform SFI so that when it opens in the new year there will be more actions in there focused on cleaning up water, because that's in the interests of the country as a whole, but it's also in the interests of the farming sector. So we'll have more to say on that.' He is expected to launch these changes by the end of summer. The NFU announced it was starting a new programme that would work with scientists to help farmers measure the pollution in the waterways near their farms, so they could take steps to improve the water quality and see the progress. The summit was held on the NFU vice-president Rachel Hallos's farm. On her land, which is owned by Yorkshire Water, there are two reservoirs. Reed toured these and saw they were completely dry, which has raised concerns about water supply and food production in the area. Yorkshire was the first area of the UK to implement a hosepipe ban this summer. It is in drought after the driest spring on record. The NFU president, Tom Bradshaw, said farmers were having to deal with weather extremes due to climate breakdown. He added: 'I think that, rather than being extreme, that is now the reality that we're all having to deal with, and that as farmers, we've got to work out how we can mitigate the risk, how we can try and manage the situation so that we don't lurch from one catastrophic problem of not being able to plant out crops, then them flooding, or not having enough fodder because we haven't had the rainfall.' Reed suggested he might make it easier for farmers to build reservoirs on their land to hold water during dry conditions. He said planning had been 'too slow', adding: 'Farmers can't get on and build reservoirs that they need.' He said: 'Farmers get caught in the planning system. We've done work with the National Trust and RSPB where they are trusted partners and they don't have to apply for permission to dig ponds on their land anymore. We aren't quite there yet with farmers we are coproducing policy but something could look like that. 'There isn't just one answer – we need farmers to be able to have ready access to water and that involves many different actions we could take. That's why it's so important to have conversations like those we are having today.'
Scotsman
5 days ago
- Politics
- Scotsman
How Labour minister's attack on quality of Scotland's water backfired badly
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Westminster went into recess this week, a time of year when MPs can take a breath, undertake summer surgery tours and constituency visits, and generally catch up with work back home that can be difficult with the weekly commute to London. It is also historically when we enter what is known as 'silly season', described in the Collins dictionary as 'the time around August when the newspapers are full of unimportant or silly news stories because there is not much political news to report'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad This week it arrived a few days early as a Labour Cabinet minister sought to make the case against water nationalisation using inaccurate figures about Scottish water quality. A Labour politician, Environment Secretary Steve Reed no less, arguing against a successfully nationalised public utility and showing a courageous streak by criticising Scots over the quality of their tap water. Just 16 per cent of England's water bodies are in good ecological status, compared to 66 per cent in Scotland (Picture: Christopher Furlong) | Getty Images Swimming in sewage Now, there are times, when stories that the political bubble, politicians and journalists alike, think are terribly serious fail to capture the public imagination. The quality of Scotland's water is not one of them. People in Scotland, of all political persuasions and none, take some pride in the quality of Scotland's water – not least those of us who drink London tap water during our weekly London commute! The Secretary of State was swimming in sewage of his own making and gave Scottish Government Cabinet minister Gillian Martin ample opportunity to rebut his claims in a pointed letter. Sixty-six per cent of Scotland's water bodies are of good ecological status compared to 16 per cent in England and 29 per cent in Wales. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Whilst there is always more that can be done and Scottish ministers are right to focus on areas for which they have responsibility, Scottish water is improving with 87 per cent assessed as 'clean or good', up from 82 per cent in 2014. There is always work to be done in Scotland, and in fairness Scottish ministers have the benefit of being answerable to the public rather than shareholders, but nonetheless the intervention was 'courageous' by the British minister. £78bn in shareholder dividends A recent report by the UK Environment Agency showed serious pollution incidents in England were up 60 per cent compared to the previous year with 'consistently poor performance from all nine water and sewage companies' in England. The Environment Agency put this down to 'persistent underinvestment in new infrastructure, poor asset maintenance and reduced resilience due to the impacts of climate'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Secretary of State even conceded on Sky News this week that most of the £104 billion investment needed in the water industry in England would have to be paid back by bill payers. What's more, since privatisation by the Tories in the 1990s, water companies have paid out £78bn in dividends and millions in bonuses to water company bosses, a system that a Labour minister was now seeking to defend. One might say that the UK Government has found itself up a rather polluted creek without a paddle. No wonder so few voices are calling for Scottish water to be privatised given the unfolding disaster south of the Border. Bill payers in Scotland gain from successive devolved administrations managing water better. Since 2010 for instance, average charges to Scottish customers have reduced by over 10 per cent with average prices significantly lower than in England and Wales. Given all of this you might have expected the Secretary of State to be more focused on keeping to past Labour commitments that might help voters down south. In the 2020 Labour leadership race, one of Keir Starmer's ten key pledges was to 'support common ownership of rail, mail, energy and water'. That commitment appears to have been one of many dropped by Labour in office. Scottish Labour's favourite tactic Labour finds itself politically rudderless in stormy waters, pun absolutely intended. No wonder, the party has won power and doesn't know what to do with it. The Secretary of State was left gasping, a fish out of water. When he was interviewed, unable to defend his own record, he did what Labour MPs are getting rather good at, talk about something else entirely. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It's a favoured tactic of Scottish Labour MPs to talk about anything but their own Westminster government. At the most recent Scotland Office question time, supposed to be Scotland's voice in the UK Government, only my Dundee colleague Chris Law and I seemed to be bothered to ask about issues pertinent to the UK Government. Labour MP after Labour MP stood up to talk about the Scottish Government, telling us something of who is setting the policy agenda – and it isn't this Labour administration. The lack of Labour MPs' curiosity about the work of their own government and the Secretary of State's brazen deflection tells us of a Westminster government and UK ruling party without much of a political compass, holed below the water line by their own lack of purpose. My experience of speaking to voters tells me that people want to know what you are for, rather than what you are against. Even where voters disagree with you, and plenty do, they respect parties who are clear on their beliefs. Things could always be better and Scottish ministers should continue to keep up their work to ensure that Scottish water is cheaper, less polluted and more sustainable than elsewhere. The same goes the other way, and given the state of England's waters maybe, just maybe, Labour ministers could do with focusing on areas over which they have responsibility. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Water is a precious commodity, and it has rightly grabbed a bit of attention this week. It's certainly more deserving than this week's early silly season but we shouldn't let that wander into September. Time for some serious politics about a serious resource – time for Labour ministers to focus on the day job?
South Wales Guardian
5 days ago
- Business
- South Wales Guardian
Councils to get £1.1bn for recycling from packaging fees charged to firms
Under the current system, local councils have footed the bill for disposing of items such as milk bottles, cereal boxes and soup tins using taxpayers' money. But the new extended producer responsibility (EPR) scheme that comes into force this year will require businesses to pay towards the costs of recycling packaging they use. Companies will start paying fees from November, with charges varying depending on how hard the material is to recycle. It is hoped this will encourage businesses to reduce the amount of packaging they use, shift to more recyclable materials and invest in circular economy innovations, ultimately reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills or incinerators. The Environment Department (Defra) said it expects to collect £1.4 billion from EPR fees over the next few months. Regardless of the final collection, the department said £1.1 billion is guaranteed to go to councils in England for the 2025/26 financial year. The further £300,000 is expected go to the UK's devolved authorities to allocate to councils. Councils will be able to choose how to spend the funding, such as offering local residents more streamlined collections, building new infrastructures or upgrading facilities. Environment Secretary Steve Reed said all councils must use the funding to deliver improved packaging waste collection services for their communities. The scheme's administrator PackUK has been given powers to reduce future funding allocations if evidence shows a council has funnelled it towards other purposes. More widely, the Government hopes the scheme will help to unlock regional growth, create new green jobs and boost household recycling rates which have seen little improvement over recent years. It pointed to projects such as waste management firm Veolia's facility in Southwark which handles and processes materials collected from homes and sends them to be turned into new products. Environment minister Mary Creagh said: 'This Government is cleaning up Britain and ending the throwaway society. She added that the money 'will revolutionise how we deal with our waste and ensure more of today's rubbish is recycled into tomorrow's packaging'. Local government minister Jim McMahon said: 'Clean and tidy streets are something everyone wants to see, and these commonsense reforms will help councils achieve that. 'Whether it's channelling more money into recycling or reforming the outdated funding system, we are fixing the foundations of local government so that it can focus on what matters most to people across the country.' Jacob Hayler, executive director of the Environmental Services Association, said: 'Our members stand ready to invest billions, alongside local authority partners, in the next generation of recycling services, infrastructure and jobs, which will provide a rapid boost to England's stalled recycling rates. 'The new producer responsibility regime for packaging, alongside other measures to simplify recycling services, will unlock this investment and support our ambition to achieve a circular economy in the United Kingdom over the next decade.' Jim Bligh, the Food and Drink Federation's director of corporate affairs and packaging, said: 'This announcement is welcome news for both industry and consumers, coming just before producers receive their first invoices for EPR. 'It marks a vital step towards delivering the improvements in the UK's recycling system that we all want and need.' Adam Hug, environment spokesperson for the Local Government Association, said: 'It's positive to see the costs of managing packaging waste shift to the industry creating this waste. 'Councils are proud to run some of the best recycling services in the world, with high levels of public satisfaction despite significant financial pressures. 'This success is built on council's local knowledge and strong links with communities, and we hope the new scheme will support that work and help reduce the amount of packaging ending up in household bins.' The EPR scheme comes as part of wider Government efforts to boost the circular economy, which also include the delayed deposit return scheme that provides a financial incentive to customers to return empty drinks containers to collection points. The Circular Economy Taskforce is also working with sectors to create a series of roadmaps to improve the approach to using materials.
Powys County Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Powys County Times
Councils to get £1.1bn for recycling from packaging fees charged to firms
Councils in England are set to receive a share of £1.1 billion in recycling funding taken from money charged to companies for the packaging they produce. Under the current system, local councils have footed the bill for disposing of items such as milk bottles, cereal boxes and soup tins using taxpayers' money. But the new extended producer responsibility (EPR) scheme that comes into force this year will require businesses to pay towards the costs of recycling packaging they use. Companies will start paying fees from November, with charges varying depending on how hard the material is to recycle. It is hoped this will encourage businesses to reduce the amount of packaging they use, shift to more recyclable materials and invest in circular economy innovations, ultimately reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills or incinerators. The Environment Department (Defra) said it expects to collect £1.4 billion from EPR fees over the next few months. Regardless of the final collection, the department said £1.1 billion is guaranteed to go to councils in England for the 2025/26 financial year. The further £300,000 is expected go to the UK's devolved authorities to allocate to councils. Councils will be able to choose how to spend the funding, such as offering local residents more streamlined collections, building new infrastructures or upgrading facilities. Environment Secretary Steve Reed said all councils must use the funding to deliver improved packaging waste collection services for their communities. The scheme's administrator PackUK has been given powers to reduce future funding allocations if evidence shows a council has funnelled it towards other purposes. More widely, the Government hopes the scheme will help to unlock regional growth, create new green jobs and boost household recycling rates which have seen little improvement over recent years. It pointed to projects such as waste management firm Veolia's facility in Southwark which handles and processes materials collected from homes and sends them to be turned into new products. Environment minister Mary Creagh said: 'This Government is cleaning up Britain and ending the throwaway society. She added that the money 'will revolutionise how we deal with our waste and ensure more of today's rubbish is recycled into tomorrow's packaging'. Local government minister Jim McMahon said: 'Clean and tidy streets are something everyone wants to see, and these commonsense reforms will help councils achieve that. 'Whether it's channelling more money into recycling or reforming the outdated funding system, we are fixing the foundations of local government so that it can focus on what matters most to people across the country.' Jacob Hayler, executive director of the Environmental Services Association, said: 'Our members stand ready to invest billions, alongside local authority partners, in the next generation of recycling services, infrastructure and jobs, which will provide a rapid boost to England's stalled recycling rates. 'The new producer responsibility regime for packaging, alongside other measures to simplify recycling services, will unlock this investment and support our ambition to achieve a circular economy in the United Kingdom over the next decade.' Jim Bligh, the Food and Drink Federation's director of corporate affairs and packaging, said: 'This announcement is welcome news for both industry and consumers, coming just before producers receive their first invoices for EPR. 'It marks a vital step towards delivering the improvements in the UK's recycling system that we all want and need.' Adam Hug, environment spokesperson for the Local Government Association, said: 'It's positive to see the costs of managing packaging waste shift to the industry creating this waste. 'Councils are proud to run some of the best recycling services in the world, with high levels of public satisfaction despite significant financial pressures. 'This success is built on council's local knowledge and strong links with communities, and we hope the new scheme will support that work and help reduce the amount of packaging ending up in household bins.' The EPR scheme comes as part of wider Government efforts to boost the circular economy, which also include the delayed deposit return scheme that provides a financial incentive to customers to return empty drinks containers to collection points.
