Campaign Reply: Sewage

I have long campaigned for better water quality and have been a member of Surfers Against Sewage for dozen years, or more.  I agree, the current use of sewage discharges is unacceptable. Tackling storm overflows is a priority and the Government is committed to protecting public health and the environment from discharges.

This is the first Government to take steps to address storm overflows, starting with the landmark Environment Bill. From this, in August 2022, the Government launched the Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan, which will require water companies to deliver their largest ever environmental infrastructure investment - £56 billion over 25 years. This is an ambitious plan which prioritises storm overflows that have the potential to cause the most harm while balancing the impact on consumer bills.

Water companies will be required to take measures such as increasing the capacity of their networks and treating sewage before it is discharged, while massively reducing all discharges. Water companies are investing £3.1 billion to deliver the 800 storm overflow improvements across England by 2025. I am assured that Ministers are working with water companies to accelerate these projects.

By 2035, water companies will have to improve all storm overflows discharging into or near every designated bathing water and improve 75 per cent of overflows discharging to high priority nature sites. By 2050, this will apply to all remaining storm overflows covered by our targets, regardless of location. Ministers will review the plan in 2027 to consider further improvement, taking account of innovation and efficiencies. The Government will not hesitate to go further and faster if needed.

The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has asked water company bosses to submit their plans for every storm overflow in the country, prioritising those that have the potential to cause the most harm, such as those that discharge most, or those that discharge into priority nature sites or bathing waters.

The water regulators (the Environment Agency and Ofwat) recently launched the largest criminal and civil investigations into water company sewage discharges ever, at over 2200 treatment works, following new data coming to light as a result of the increased monitoring, which has been driven by the Government. Ofwat can fine companies up to 10 per cent of annual turnover. The Environment Agency will act against non-compliance, which can include criminal prosecution for which there can be unlimited fines. 

Courts also have legal powers to prosecute CEOs and company directors where there is evidence against those individuals and where it is in the public interest to prosecute. In 2022, the Government announced plans to expand the use if, and raise the cap on fines that the Environment Agency can issue, meaning sanctions can be imposed more often without lengthy and costly court cases.

The plan stipulates that water companies should publish discharge information in near real time as well as committing to tackling the root causes of the issue by improving surface water drainage. The plan also sets out Ministers’ wider expectations for the water industry, to ensure their infrastructure keeps pace with increasing external pressures, such as urban growth and climate change and to ensure our water supplies remain clean and secure for the future.

To crack down on water pollution, the Government has boosted funding for the Environment Agency (EA), with £2.2 million per year specifically for water company enforcement activity. In 2022, the EA and Ofwat launched the largest criminal and civil investigations into water company sewage discharges ever, at over 2200 treatment works, following new data coming to light as a result of increased monitoring. Investigations look at where sites may be breaching their permits and ensure that companies found to be acting illegally are held to account, up to and including prosecution, which can lead to unlimited fines and companies having to reimburse customers. This follows 56 prosecutions against water companies since 2015, securing fines of nearly £141 million.

At present, money from these fines is returned to the Treasury. However, I am aware of new plans to channel money from water company fines into environmental improvements. This could include initiatives to restore our water environments by creating wetlands, re-vegetating river banks and reconnecting meanders to the main channel of rivers. In November 2022, Ofwat announced that almost £135 million would be returned to customers as a result of companies underperforming against their performance commitments.

Newspaper Column 14th November 2023 - The King's Speech and what it means for Cornwall

Last week King Charles III delivered the King’s Speech to both Houses of Parliament, and to the nation at the State Opening of Parliament. The King’s speech outlines the Government’s priorities for the next session of Parliament, and in doing so, introduces the bills that we as MPs will scrutinise, debate, and vote on before they become law It was the first King’s Speech in more than 70 years, a sombre reminder of our late Queen, but also a celebration of our nation’s amazing history of culture and tradition. I was honoured to join my parliamentary colleagues in the House of Lords to witness it.

The speech focused on the Government’s commitments to the British people. His Majesty spoke of economic growth and the steps being taken to reduce inflation and to ease the cost of living for families. He spoke about how we can safeguard people’s health and security, and he spoke about new investment into businesses to fund new jobs and help local companies grow. Most importantly, the speech set a course for how this government will deliver for communities across Britain, and I want to take this opportunity to tell you all just what this will mean for our great Cornish community.

The King announced new legislation to ensure our energy security, reducing our reliance on volatile international markets and hostile foreign regimes, all without burdening families with ever-increasing bills. Cornwall is at the forefront of Britain’s transition towards renewable energies; the new age of Cornish mining will revolutionise British energy for generations to come.

I am proud that as a nation we are decarbonising faster than any other in the G7. In Cornwall we are already investing in critical minerals, and other forms of energy like solar and the floating offshore wind for the Celtic Sea which are being built right here in Falmouth! It is essential though that we consider how this energy is stored and used. We have the supply of green energy, and we have the drive to invest and grow green Cornish industries, but we need more and better battery storage and cables if we are to use it, and we need them right here. The King announced new investment to reform local grid connections, and I want to see this money spent right here in Cornwall.

The King spoke about Network North, our new rail investment plan to build the essential local connections communities need across and the north and midlands. In Cornwall we’ve already doing this; the plans for the Mid-Cornwall Metro, an affordable, fast, and regular shuttle between Falmouth, Truro, St Austell, and Newquay is exactly what this commitment will be. A local solution to rail transport, which opens the door for businesses to invest and grow, improving access to jobs and education and giving those less able the same freedom of movement we all deserve. This targeted, sensible approach to local public transport is exactly what communities need to create sustainable levelling up everywhere. It is not a new approach, it is a refined approach, and in Cornwall we are already a step ahead in showing how it can be done.

Connectivity is not just about the railways of course. We are a nation of drivers, and we have an opportunity we cannot ignore to grasp new technologies and innovation to make our roads safer, better, and more accessible. The king spoke about the Automated Vehicles Bill, new legislation to introduce self-driving vehicles to our roads. In rural communities it is all too easy for people, especially the elderly, to become isolated. We have seen this all too often, and that is key to why this bill matters. Self-driving cars improve connectivity, access to public services, and will reduce traffic on our roads. This is the most comprehensive legal framework for such technology anywhere in the world, with safety at its core. We’re updating our roads in Cornwall, and the new A30 will be one of the best, modern roads in the country once completed. Now it’s up to us to take the next step to use them to bring people together.

As well as high-tech roads, the King spoke about high tech business. The Government is introducing the Digital Markets, Competition, and Consumers Bill, and the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill. Recently the Prime Minister talked about how we introduce AI to the economy, and bills like this are how we do that. The transformation will happen right here. Cornwall has the best digital connectivity in the country. We were the original Silicon Valley, and with the support of individuals such as Richard Ambler from Truro City Council, Cornwall’s digital potential can be realised. High-tech companies can and should be based in Cornwall, and we will make that possible whilst protecting consumers, and employees at every step.

The King spoke about our NHS, and the work the Government is doing to cut waiting lists and transform the way local health services train and recruit new staff. Once again, Cornwall is leading the way. Treliske’s new women and children’s hospital is pioneering approaches to patient care, integrating services within a well-trained and supported specialist team for the first time. The results are already clear to see. Treliske currently has no vacancies at all for midwifes, and in fact has a waiting list for people wishing to apply. That is an extraordinary achievement! Working closely with local schools and colleges, our Royal Cornwall Hospital will expand this approach with training, apprenticeships, and support to enable a professional team at the hospital drawn from right here in our community.

The King spoke about public safety, tacking crime and keeping our communities safe from, anti-social behaviour, terrorism, and illegal migration. We can all agree with these commitments, and Devon and Cornwall Police do a fantastic job of keeping us safe. We have more police now than ever before, and we are using our police more efficiently than before. In Truro we have introduced an anti-social behaviour officer, to liaise with communities directly and our regional elected Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez I know does an outstanding job in keeping our community safe.

This King’s Speech was about community, and it was about setting a course for government with long-term decisions for stability and progress. I want to thank his Majesty for his dedicated service, and for delivering this speech. These commitments matter for everyone in our community now and in the future, and with your help we can set out and do the work to keep our great Cornish community safe, prosperous, successful, and a place to be proud of.

As always, I am fully focused on the job at hand and if there is ever anything at all I can do to help, then please do not hesitate to contact me. Please get in touch with me by email at Cherilyn.mackrory.mp@parliament.uk, or by telephone on 01872 229698. My regular constituency advice surgeries are held in a covid-safe environment at my office, so please do get in touch should you wish to meet me about any matters that I can be of assistance with.

 

 

Campaign Reply: Healthy School Meals

All children should be able to access healthy food at school every day. With the help of good nutrition, pupils will be ready to learn and have the chance to achieve their full potential. It will hopefully encourage healthy and stable eating habits for life.

The Requirements for School Food Regulations 2014 set out guidance on how schools should provide children with healthy food and drink options to get the necessary energy and nutrition throughout the school day, including that meat or poultry must be offered on three or more days each week, and that milk must be available for drinking every day. Schools must also do all they can to make free water visible and easily available. The Government continues to promote compliance with the School Food Standards and will keep this under review.

In 2022, the Levelling Up White Paper outlined plans to strengthen adherence by: trialling coordination with the Foods Standards Agency; providing funding of up to £200,000 for a pilot Governor Training Scheme; and encouraging schools to set out their whole school approach to food in a statement on their website. The Government is encouraging schools to respond to feedback from parents about their school meals provision and to act reasonably to ensure the needs and beliefs of their school community are being met.

Campaign Reply: Liver Disease and Liver Cancer

Liver disease is currently the second biggest cause of premature mortality and lost working years of life in England and Wales. There was an increase in alcohol-related deaths during the pandemic, exacerbating the significant rise in deaths from liver disease over the past 50 years.

Likewise, I am concerned that liver cancer has the second fastest increase in incidence of any cancer in the UK and has shown the fastest increase in mortality rates over the past decade of any cancer for men and women.

Improving diagnosis of liver disease appears to be crucial to improving outcomes for liver cancer and helping patients to access early surveillance.  Patients diagnosed with liver cancer in stage 1 have significantly better survival rates compared to those diagnosed at the latest stage (78 per cent vs 20 per cent).  

The Government’s expansion of community diagnostic centres will support earlier diagnosis and improve health outcomes. In addition, the NHS Health Check for 40 to 74 year olds also aims to identify people at risk of liver disease and refer them for further treatment and investigation. I recognise the urgency of the British Liver Trust's campaign to ensure that as many community diagnostic centres as possible have access to FibroScan testing.

Community Liver Health Checks are being funded in 12 areas to identify patients with liver disease earlier, with liver disease being the biggest risk factor of HCC. These pilots will ensure that more people at high risk of HCC are offered and receive six monthly liver surveillance by ultrasound.

More can, and will, be done to tackle liver disease, and I will continue to monitor this issue closely.

Campaign Reply: Benefit Sanctions

The Government is committed to delivering a welfare system that encourages and supports people into work, while providing a vital safety net for the most vulnerable.

As you note, the Chancellor recently announced that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will review the sanctions regime to ensure that benefit claimants are moving into work. This review stands alongside measures outlined at the Spring Budget 2023, which included automating parts of the sanctions regime and ensuring that DWP Work Coaches have the tools and training to implement sanctions as effectively as possible.

While I note your concerns about these announcements, sanctions underpin the work-related activities a claimant will have to do in order to get full entitlement to Universal Credit (also known as "conditionality") and are a key part of a fair and effective welfare system. It is right that the welfare system encourages claimants to take reasonable steps to prepare for and move into work.

Sanctions on Universal Credit only apply if claimants fail to meet their agreed requirements without good reason. If information amounting to a good reason comes to light after a sanction has been applied, the sanction can be overturned and the money repaid via mandatory reconsideration.

The DWP has a well-established system of hardship payments, available as a safeguard if a claimant demonstrates that they cannot meet their immediate and most essential needs because of a sanction.

Campaign Reply: School Building Safety

I completely understand your concern about the disruption to students, teachers and parents at schools, colleges and maintained nursery schools which have buildings with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).

Over the last year, the Department for Education has been engaging with educational settings to identify buildings which may have RAAC. Up until now, the advice has been to take RAAC areas out of use immediately if assessed by surveyors as ‘critical’. Where they were assessed by surveyors as ‘non-critical’, the Department for Education did not consider the risk to require that these spaces be taken out of use. However, that position has now changed, following recent cases that came to light over the summer. 

As a consequence, from 31 August, the Department for Education has been advising schools, colleges and maintained nursery schools with buildings with RAAC confirmed by a surveyor to take the affected space out of use until suitable mitigations have been put in place. This is a necessary and precautionary step to protect the safety of students while adequate mitigations are being put in place. 

Every school or college with confirmed RAAC is assigned dedicated support from the Department's team of 80 caseworkers. Project delivery teams are on site to support schools and colleges to implement mitigation plans. They will work with them to put in place a bespoke plan that supports face-to-face education for all pupils as soon as possible based on their circumstances. Mitigation plans include other spaces on the school site, or in nearby schools or elsewhere in the local area, until building works are carried out or temporary buildings are installed.

The Government is funding the emergency work needed to mitigate the presence of RAAC, including installing alternative classroom space where necessary. All reasonable requests for additional help with revenue costs, like transport to locations or temporarily renting a local hall, are being approved. The Government is funding longer-term refurbishment or rebuilding projects to address the presence of RAAC in schools. Schools and colleges will either be offered capital grants to fund refurbishment work to permanently remove RAAC, or rebuilding projects where these are needed, including through the School Rebuilding Programme. The Government is working closely with responsible bodies to assess what the right solution is for each case.

Whilst this is a very difficult decision, the UK Government has been proactive in addressing this issue - in sharp contrast to the devolved administrations - and has been updating guidance and prioritising the safety of students ahead of the new term. The vast majority of schools are unaffected and children should attend school as normal this term, unless parents hear differently from school leaders.  

I want to reassure pupils, parents and staff that this Government is doing whatever it takes to support our schools and colleges in responding to RAAC and minimise disruption to education.

Campaign Reply: Save the Bees

Pollinators are an essential part of our environment and play a crucial role in food production through pollination. They contribute an estimated £500 million a year to UK agriculture and food production by improving crop quality. They are also vital to the wider natural environment, pollinating wildflowers and trees which then support other insects, birds and mammals.

However, Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS) are one of the five drivers of biodiversity loss globally and are estimated to cost the economy £1.8 billion per year. The refreshed Great Britain Invasive Non-Native Species Strategy aims to minimise the risk of introduction and establishment of these invasive species and reduce their negative impacts. It provides a framework to deliver the most effective response to preventing, eradicating, and managing invasive non-native species. The strategy contains 55 key actions outlining how seven outcomes will be achieved by 2030.

Defra recognises that the Asian hornet is an invasive species which poses a serious threat to honey bees and other pollinators. Since 2015, the Government’s joint Asian hornet contingency plan sets out actions that will be taken in cases of the Asian hornet being discovered in Great Britain. Ministers have also funded the non-native species information portal, including its alert system, which plays an important role in tackling the threat posed by the Asian hornet, as well as horizon scanning exercises which help to understand the potential of future threats.

I am aware that there has been a number of sightings of the Asian hornet in the UK in recent months, and that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has been taking contingency action. While there is not currently a requirement for local councils to take action against Asian hornets, I recognise that raising awareness is essential to the response. By ensuring that officials are alerted to possible sightings as early as possible, swift and effective action can be taken to address the threat posed by Asian hornets. If you suspect that you have seen an Asian hornet, this should be reported either through the ‘Asian Hornet Watch’ app or by emailing: alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk.

More widely, the Pollinator Action Plan sets out how the Government, beekeepers, conservation groups, farmers, researchers, and the public can work together to help pollinators in England thrive. The plan focuses on strengthening the evidence base to improve our understanding of pollination, managing land more effectively, sustaining pollinator health of managed and wild populations, and engaging the public through Bees’ Needs events.