8 October 2024 – yesterday’s press releases

  • Water companies revealed to escape fines as Lib Dems force new sewage vote in Parliament
  • Water Bills: Govt must enforce tougher restrictions on water companies
  • Cole-Hamilton calls for support as thousands of NHS staff off on long term sick
  • Action needed on Welsh water quality
  • Cole-Hamilton: A&E in permacrisis under SNP
  • Drug deaths crisis brings untold suffering
  • Rennie responds to Swinney’s poverty comments
  • Chairman of scandal-hit water regulator quits

Water companies revealed to escape fines as Lib Dems force new sewage vote in Parliament

  • Liberal Democrats to force parliamentary vote on outright ban on water company bosses bonuses
  • New Freedom of Information Request reveals Ofwat has failed to levy any fines against disgraced firms and employs just 8 full time staff on sewage investigations
  • Ed Davey slams government decision to let Ofwat decide new water company bosses bonuses

The Liberal Democrats plan to table an amendment which outlaws water company bonuses as the government’s new Water Bill enters Parliament tomorrow (9 October).

It comes as a shocking new Freedom of Information request by the Liberal Democrats found that Ofwat admitted “we have not issued any fines in connection with how water companies manage their sewage treatment” Since they launched their investigation into water companies’ sewage discharges in November 2021. Instead, Ofwat is still in “consultation” with the water companies it aims to fine.

The new findings revealed by the Liberal Democrats goes on to state that Ofwat’s investigation into sewage treatment works has a staffing of just 8.5 full-time employees, “many” of whom are working on the report “alongside other projects”.

This scant, part-time staffing raises serious questions over the regulator’s resources and powers to properly scrutinise water companies it oversees – particularly given that Ofwat’s CEO called the project “the largest and most complex investigation” the watchdog has ever undertaken.

Ofwat told the Lib Dems that “many of the people working on the investigation do so for a portion of their time alongside other projects”, and that the regulator is “in the process of recruiting further staff”.

Under the government’s new Water Bill, water company executive bonuses will be determined by key test indicators established by Ofwat. Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey is calling for Ofwat to be scrapped as a failed regulator which should have no role in determining water company bonuses.

Analysis of Company House records by the Liberal Democrats has found water company executives have made £35 million in bonuses since 2021.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

It is time for Parliament to stand up and take action on the sewage crisis after years of failure under the Conservatives.

The new government’s attempt is sadly a job half done. A toothless and tired regulator will fail to end the scandal of multi-million pound bonuses for sewage dumpers.

We need water company executive bonuses banned until the sewage dumping stops. This disgraced industry has shown it is not worthy of any bonuses.

Conservative MPs spent years voting against a ban on sewage bonuses and propping up a failed regulator. It is time to rip up the industry, with companies which no longer put profit before the environment, and a proper regulator with real power.

Liberal Democrat MPs standby ready to work with the government to make sure the new Water Bill protects local communities from foul sewage.

Water Bills: Govt must enforce tougher restrictions on water companies

Commenting on the latest Ofwat reports, which revealed that water firms have been told to cut bills over poor performance, Liberal Democrat Environment Spokesperson Tim Farron MP said:

British people are rightly outraged with water companies pumping tonnes of filthy sewage into rivers and seas.

And all the while, it is households across the country that have had to pick up the bill, whilst water company bosses are lining their pockets. It’s high time that companies bear the brunt of their mistakes and are held accountable. We are calling for the government to enforce tougher restrictions on water companies.

Cole-Hamilton calls for support as thousands of NHS staff off on long term sick

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has today called for a new package of support for NHS staff and measures to put their experience at the heart of driving the NHS recovery as he unveiled a snapshot of the health service which showed more than 2,500 staff were off on long term sick.

A freedom of information request submitted by Scottish Liberal Democrats has revealed that earlier this year at least 2,555 NHS doctors, nurses and staff were off long-term sick at once.

In total NHS staff have been on long term sick on 43,881 occasions over the past five years.

Commenting on the figures, Alex Cole-Hamilton said:

These figures show that NHS staffing is in a fragile place.

Staff are utterly exhausted from dealing with huge pressure on every shift and occupational risks like long Covid. Many feel they have no other option but to take long term leave or quit the profession entirely.

If we are to avoid another winter crisis in our NHS, ministers need to plug the huge gaps in the workforce.

Scottish Liberal Democrats would completely overhaul the SNP’s failed NHS Recovery Plan to prioritise the recruitment and retention of staff and increase training places in key areas such as mental heath and dentistry. The SNP also need to reverse their opposition to a Burnout Prevention Strategy for staff, otherwise they run the risk of losing many more NHS staff who we desperately need.

Staff and patients have paid too high a price for the SNP’s carelessness with our NHS.

Action needed on Welsh water quality

Responding to the news that Welsh Water have been ordered to pay a £24m penalty by industry regulator Ofwat, the Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats Jane Dodds MS said:

For far too long now, the people of Wales have been saddled with rising water bills while our rivers and coastlines are being polluted with sewage. It’s clear that our Welsh water companies have routinely fallen short of the standards expected of them.

We as the Welsh Liberal Democrats have long campaigned for the urgent clean-up of our rivers and coastlines and for harsher punishments for those guilty of sewage dumping.

There can be no more excuses for inaction, if we want change then we must act decisively both for the people of Wales and its beautiful natural environment.

Cole-Hamilton: A&E in permacrisis under SNP

Responding to new figures showing only 65.4% of people attending A&E were seen within the 4 hour target in the week ending 29th September, while 3,048 people waited over 8 hours and 1,262 waited over 12 hours, Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton said:

Under this SNP government emergency care is locked in a state of permacrisis. Waiting times have barely improved since last winter, this week’s figures are equal to figures from late December last year.

We need to see urgent action from this SNP government to stop this crisis getting even worse as we head into winter so that patients and staff are not left to suffer.

Scottish Liberal Democrats would overhaul the SNP’s failed NHS Recovery Plan, get you fast access to GPs and help people leave hospital on time through a new UK-wide minimum wage for care workers that is £2 higher.

Drug deaths crisis brings untold suffering

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has today urged ministers to use every tool at their disposal to stop people dying from drugs after a new report laid bare the scale of the crisis.

An analysis of drug deaths registered in 2019 and 2020 in Scotland found that:

  • 602 children were reported to have lost a parent or a parental figure as a result of a drug related death;
  • Over half of people who died resided in some of the most deprived neighbourhoods;
  • Two thirds of people who died were in contact with a service with the potential to address their problematic drug use or deliver harm reduction interventions in the six months before their death.

Mr Cole-Hamilton said:

Scotland’s drug deaths crisis is bringing untold suffering for families and communities across the country. Deaths have more than doubled over the last decade; it is a public health emergency that remains the worst in Europe.

The SNP Government must explain why earlier this year they saw fit to freeze the funding for drug and alcohol policy- a real-terms cut to the budget for critical services. I worry that those services could suffer further cuts which would seriously undermine their ability to support all those who need it.

Ministers must use every tool at their disposal to stop people dying. This includes rolling out a full nationwide network of drug testing and safer consumption facilities- centres that are proven to keep people safe, prevent fatal overdoses and present new pathways for treatment and recovery.

Rennie responds to Swinney’s poverty comments

Responding to John Swinney claiming that the SNP Government can still achieve its legally binding target to reduce child poverty to 10% by 2030, despite almost a quarter of children currently living in poverty and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation warning that the target “will almost certainly” be missed, Scottish Liberal Democrat Willie Rennie MSP said:

All the evidence shows that this target will soon become yet another SNP broken promise.

The SNP have had 17 years to move the dial, but now almost a quarter of children are in poverty and there are record numbers of children in temporary accommodation.

Ministers are threatening to make that situation even worse by slashing the housing budget and ditching their promise to roll out free school meals for all primary school pupils.

If John Swinney wants to eradicate child poverty, he should be backing up targets with action that will make a difference.

Chairman of scandal-hit water regulator quits

Responding to the resignation of the chairman of the Water Industry Commission for Scotland, after the body came under fire for various financial failings, including spending on gift cards that breached tax and public finance rules and a £77,000 Harvard training course for a senior executive, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:

Scotland’s entire system of water regulation is a shambles. The Scottish Government-owned water company was allowed to dump sewage more than 25,000 times last year.

Scotland urgently needs watchdogs that will get tough when it comes to raising and enforcing standards. The Scottish Liberal Democrats would bring forward a new Clean Water Act to clamp down on the dumping of filthy sewage around our rivers, lochs and coasts.

The Scottish Government should also be up front about whether Mr MacRae will receive a payout following his resignation.

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This entry was posted in News, Press releases, Scotland and Wales.
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One Comment

  • No press release about voting with the Tories on VAT on private schools ?

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