Sewage: Waste Disposal
Commons · Question 116620 · Tabled 27 Feb 2026 · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs · Official record
Answered 5 Mar 2026
Question
Asked by James McMurdock
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of enforcement powers available to the Environment Agency regarding sewage discharges by water companies.
Answer
Answered by Emma Hardy, 5 Mar 2026
The Government keeps the Environment Agency’s (EA) powers to address sewage discharges under regular review. We introduced the Water (Special Measures) Act to increase accountability, strengthen sanctions, and make pollution coverups a criminal offence. O...