Shipley MP Demands Action to Clean Up Local Rivers and Protect Billpayers
- 7 days ago
- 3 min read
Shipley MP Anna Dixon has today continued her campaign for urgent reform of the water industry, citing in Parliament “years” of pollution, under‑investment and rising bills that have hit her constituents.
Speaking in this morning’s Westminster Hall debate on the Independent Water Commission, Ms Dixon highlighted the anger across her constituency over the condition of the River Wharfe and River Aire, both of which have suffered from thousands of pollution incidents and sewage discharges over recent years. She also criticised the impact of leaking infrastructure on roads and homes, as well as the spiralling bills households face.
Opening her speech, Anna Dixon MP said: “Companies such as Yorkshire Water have been failing us for years now. We suffered last year from a failure to invest in new reservoirs, with an almost year-long drought starting in the spring.
“I very much welcome the fact that this Labour Government have come in with a determination to tackle those issues. I was pleased to vote for and support the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025, which made sure we took immediate action to clamp down on the obscene bosses’ bonuses, including those that the chief exec of Yorkshire Water was receiving.”
Dixon went on to urge the Government to take further action to reduce the high levels of debt carried by water companies and ensure that future investment is funded fairly, rather than pushed onto customers, saying: “My own Yorkshire Water bill shows that 23% is just to finance debt, while 17% is spent on infrastructure investment. How can that be?
“Despite the figures of £104 billion in investment and, for Yorkshire Water, £8.3 billion, it does not seem as if the shareholders are actually putting their hands in their pocket. It is the customers who will have to pay for the infrastructure upgrade, and for the past failure of companies to invest.”
Ms Dixon also called for reassurance that the new water regulator will be properly resourced and equipped with the financial and environmental expertise needed to hold companies to account. She welcomed the restoration of funding to the Environment Agency, which is now pursuing a growing number of enforcement cases.
“Customers deserve to know that their money is being spent where they want it - on fixing leaks, stopping pollution and investing in the future,” she said. “Farmers, regulators and water companies must work together to clean up our rivers and seas.”
In response, Emma Hardy, MP for Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle, and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Water and Flooding, said: “I pay tribute to the passion of my hon. Friend the Member for Shipley (Anna Dixon) on this topic. The White Paper mentions sustainable debt and what that might mean. The regulator is bringing the economic environment together.
“My hon. Friend rightly highlighted the need for skills; we are looking at how to appoint the people we need. She is right that statutorily, those organisations need to continue to do their job and hold companies to account, but we need to create a shadow organisation working at the same time. Until we actually change the law, those organisations will still have all the powers.
“We are putting customers first. We want to end the steep, huge hikes that we have seen in bills and make sure that that never happens again. This Government are committed to delivering lasting change, restoring confidence and ensuring resilient, sustainable water systems that work for customers, the environment and future generations.”
