I AM frequently asked what this government is doing to change a broken water industry. People want confidence that rivers and bathing beaches are safe, that water companies are investing in the infrastructure communities rely on, and that polluters are being held to account. In Cornwall, where people regularly enjoy the sea, clean water matters.

During my time on the EFRA Committee, I helped question the chief executives and finance directors of 10 UK water companies. We discovered a rotten culture that had built up over decades of private ownership, with monopoly providers racking up huge debt in a complex structure of holding companies. Clean water, sewage treatment and investment in critical infrastructure often seemed like a side issue pushed to the edge.

The financial difficulties facing Thames Water demonstrate why reform is needed. The company is currently in talks with the government over its future and may be placed into temporary government control, known as a special administration regime.

Last year, we passed the Water (Special Measures) Act. It blocks bonuses for executives at polluting water companies, strengthens enforcement powers and increases the monitoring of sewage outlets, including a move away from the failed system that allowed water companies to monitor their own performance.

On September 29, South West Water (SWW) was fined almost £8-million for illegal sewage discharges across Cornwall and Devon following an Environment Agency investigation into incidents between 2015 to 2021. These fines send a clear message that sewage pollution will not be tolerated. Importantly, the costs of these penalties cannot simply be passed on to bill payers.

I recently met the new CEO of SWW to press the company on sewage spills, leaks, new water meters, infrastructure failures and poor communication, all issues that have been raised by residents, businesses and parish councils across Truro and Falmouth. Among the concerns I raised were recent dry spill alerts, including incidents in Flushing and Penryn St Thomas.

SWW informed me that these were false activations rather than actual sewage discharges. However, given the track record, public trust remains low.

This Labour Government has commissioned Jon Cunliffe to conduct an independent review of the water sector, and a new Clean Water Bill is being introduced this autumn based on his recommendations. Regulation will be strengthened and brought together to create one powerful new regulator with teeth.

On the same day SWW was fined, the Prime Minister announced at the Labour Party Conference a strengthened Water Bill that will repeal Thatcher’s rules preventing public ownership of water companies. Further details of the Government's approach will be set out in the 10-Year Plan for Britain, due later this year. The aim is to deliver cleaner water, fairer bills, stronger accountability and better outcomes for customers and the environment.

Water companies should never profit at the public's expense. The current situation reflects years of underinvestment and pollution. With public confidence at an all-time low, trust must be earned back. Cornwall deserves clean water and a water industry that works in the public interest.