• Bathing water: Govt needs to go further and stop sewage being pumped into bathing water sites
• Maternity Care: Time Govt end postcode lottery
• PM speech: Sunak should listen to the public and call a General Election
• McArthur comments as legal action launched over deposit return scheme losses

Bathing water: Govt needs to go further and stop sewage being pumped into bathing water sites

Responding to the government announcing new designated bathing water sites, Liberal Democrat Environment spokesperson Tim Farron MP said:

The government needs to go much further and stop sewage being pumped into bathing water sites. Conservative Ministers allowed disgraced water firms to spill sewage into these sites over 30,000 times last year. No swimmer should have to fear raw sewage making them sick.

Today the Liberal Democrats have tabled an amendment to make water companies criminally liable for their sewage pollution. I am urging MPs from all parties to back this and finally get tough on these firms.

Maternity Care: Time Govt end postcode lottery

Commenting on the the Birth Trauma Inquiry, Liberal Democrat MP and Co-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Baby Loss, Helen Morgan MP said:

This inquiry has exposed what many of us have long feared about the state of the country’s maternity services.

For so many women to have such traumatic experiences of birth is nothing short of a national tragedy. Too many are being failed in pregnancy, birth and aftercare as this report shows.

It’s time the Government took action to end the postcode lottery in maternity services. I urge them to accept the report in full.

PM speech: Sunak should listen to the public and call a General Election

Responding to the Prime Minister’s speech today, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

Instead of talking at people, Rishi Sunak should be listening to the public by calling a General Election now.

Families are sick of the Conservatives failing our NHS, allowing water companies to pump their sewage into our rivers and refusing to help families through the cost of living crisis.

This Conservative Government is out of touch and out of time and Rishi Sunak must do the right thing and give the people a General Election.

McArthur comments as legal action launched over deposit return scheme losses

Responding to the news that Biffa have launched legal action against the Scottish Government over the Deposit Return scheme, Scottish Liberal Democrat climate emergency spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP said:

If this legal bid succeeds, Lorna Slater will have been the most expensive MSP in the history of the Scottish Government.

DRS was just the latest victim of two governments which see political advantage in stoking division and indulging in constitutional spats. Businesses were caught in the middle, strung along, incurring costs and left to navigate the uncertainty.

Now that both sides have committed to a UK-wide scheme, the Scottish Government must be open about the mistakes it has made so these can be avoided in future.

Deposit return schemes have operated successfully around the world. There is no reason why the UK should be any different.