• Almost 1,500 Scottish Water investigations into potential dry weather sewage spills
• Chou Turvey responds to Rape Crisis report
• Chou Turvey calls for better police officer support amid shoplifting rise
• SNP must swap centralisation for reform to improve public services

Almost 1,500 Scottish Water investigations into potential dry weather sewage spills

Scottish Liberal Democrat environment spokesperson Sanne Dijkstra-Downie MSP has today revealed new figures showing that Scottish Water have conducted nearly 1,500 investigations into potential dry weather sewage spills.

Sewage dumping typically occurs when the sewage system is overburdened, often as a result of excessive rainfall. Sewage dumping on dry days is considered to be more damaging to the environment because discharges will not be diluted by rainfall. In England, releasing raw sewage into waterways during dry spells is illegal.

New figures obtained by Scottish Liberal Democrats using freedom of information legislation show that 3,867 alerts have been triggered for a potential dry weather sewage spill, and of these alerts 1,496 required maintenance or investigation in person, across 521 different sites.

Previously the scale of dry weather sewage spills in Scotland had not been known, although Environmental Standards Scotland reported that it believed Scottish Water and SEPA were underestimating the scale.

In his report into sewage dumping in Scotland ‘sewage sleuth’ Peter Hammond, portrayed by Jason Watkins in the Channel 4 TV show Dirty Business, found incidents of dry weather sewage dumping occurring at 3 sewage treatment works:

• 302 days where dry weather sewage spills occurred between 2018 and 2023 at Helensburgh WWTW
• 18 days where dry weather sewage spills occurred between 2018 and 2020 at Kilmory STW
• 96 days where dry weather sewage spills occurred between 2018 and 2019 and Tighnabruaich STW

Sanne Dijkstra-Downie said:

We already knew from Environmental Standards Scotland that dry weather sewage spills were being underestimated, but the number of potential incidents being shown here is very concerning.

Dry weather sewage spills are especially dangerous to the environment because sewage discharges will not have been diluted by rainwater. That’s bad news for people, pets and wildlife.

We need to see the Scottish Government finally start taking the sewage crisis more seriously. We have now had both the government’s own environmental watchdog and renowned sewage sleuth Peter Hammond call out the state of sewage dumping in Scotland but SNP ministers don’t seem interested.

Scottish Liberal Democrats want to see a Clean Water Act to take the sewage scandal seriously, track down and report every sewage dump, and replace outdated standards with modern enforceable regulation.

Chou Turvey responds to Rape Crisis report

Responding to a new report by the Scottish Rape Crisis Alliance that by 2028 almost 2,000 women and girls could be forced to wait months for specialist support after experiencing rape and sexual violence, Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Yi-pei Chou Turvey MSP said:

With reports of sexual violence now at their highest level in over 50 years, much more is needed to prevent these horrific crimes and support survivors.

Scottish Liberal Democrats have repeatedly pressed the SNP government to act on the raft of measures we have set out to protect women and girls from misogyny and violence.

That includes implementing essential domestic abuse protections passed by parliament, which the government have dragged their heels over bringing into force for more than five years.

If ending violence against women and girls is to be more than a nice soundbite for the Scottish Government, John Swinney needs to help services meet this unprecedented demand and translate his words into action.

Chou Turvey calls for better police officer support amid shoplifting rise

Responding to calls for the Scottish Government to do more to protect shop workers amid increasing levels of retail crime, Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Yi-pei Chou Turvey MSP said:

Many shop owners and shop workers across the country feel vulnerable and exposed. No one should ever have to go their workplace in fear of that.

It comes at a time when police officers are being expected to do so much with so little. They need to be properly supported- that is a key part of reversing the worrying increase in shoplifting crimes.

The Scottish Government must make sure that police officers have the time and resources they need to be visible on our high streets and to engage in more community policing. I will be using my voice in parliament to make that case to ministers.

SNP must swap centralisation for reform to improve public services

Responding to comments made by the Auditor General for Scotland, Stephen Boyle, that the SNP have failed to make the necessary “fundamental changes” to the delivery of public services, Scottish Liberal Democrat public service reform spokesperson David Green MSP said:

Instead of reforming public services, the SNP have ploughed ahead with centralising them.

The centralisation of bodies like Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service have failed to deliver many of the benefits that were promised.

It has also been extremely harmful to local communities across the country, which now have less control over decisions that directly affect their area.

What’s more, the decision to the scrap the medium-term financial strategy is symbolic of a government that doesn’t really know where it is going.

Real reform should push power closer to communities and deliver excellent value for money, neither of which the SNP are known for. That’s how we can make sure people across Scotland can access great public services, from a thriving health service to good schools and reliable ferries.