Wednesday, March 16, 2022
Tories trashing our environment
Yet another example of a callous disregard for our natural environment from Tory MPs, as the Independent reports that the party's MPs have voted down a law that would have named and shamed water companies that kill animals animals by dumping sewage into the natural environment.
They say that in a Commons division on Monday evening parliament rejected the plan by 286 votes to 179 – despite support from the Liberal Democrats, Labour, and other parties:
The amendment to the Animal Welfare Bill would have required a new committee on animals to detail "the number of sentient animals killed or injured as a result of polluted rivers".
It would also have required the report to explain what water companies were doing to protect animals in the future.
MPs in favour of the change argued that current enforcement of how private water companies operate is too weak – noting that between 2018 and 2021, there were only 11 prosecutions of water companies for dumping sewage.
Following the defeat of the plan, Liberal Democrat rural affairs spokesperson Tim Farron, who proposed the amendment, said Conservative MPs "should hang their heads in shame".
"Yet again they have let water companies off the hook whilst our precious rivers and waters are being pumped full of raw sewage," he said.
“Enough is enough, we need to name and shame water companies which are being found to destroy precious wildlife habitat. It is scandalous that animals are swimming in filth and seeing their habitats become sewage traps.
“This is a national scandal. Time and time again Conservative MPs refuse to take tough action on water companies. When will they finally listen to the public and do the right thing before our rivers are damaged beyond repair?”
Surely it is time the law held these polluters to account. Why do the Tories have a problem with that?
They say that in a Commons division on Monday evening parliament rejected the plan by 286 votes to 179 – despite support from the Liberal Democrats, Labour, and other parties:
The amendment to the Animal Welfare Bill would have required a new committee on animals to detail "the number of sentient animals killed or injured as a result of polluted rivers".
It would also have required the report to explain what water companies were doing to protect animals in the future.
MPs in favour of the change argued that current enforcement of how private water companies operate is too weak – noting that between 2018 and 2021, there were only 11 prosecutions of water companies for dumping sewage.
Following the defeat of the plan, Liberal Democrat rural affairs spokesperson Tim Farron, who proposed the amendment, said Conservative MPs "should hang their heads in shame".
"Yet again they have let water companies off the hook whilst our precious rivers and waters are being pumped full of raw sewage," he said.
“Enough is enough, we need to name and shame water companies which are being found to destroy precious wildlife habitat. It is scandalous that animals are swimming in filth and seeing their habitats become sewage traps.
“This is a national scandal. Time and time again Conservative MPs refuse to take tough action on water companies. When will they finally listen to the public and do the right thing before our rivers are damaged beyond repair?”
Surely it is time the law held these polluters to account. Why do the Tories have a problem with that?
