Water firm bosses to lose bonuses if they dump sewage as Tories nick Labour plan
The bosses of water firms will be banned from taking bonuses if they are found to be criminally negligent for pollution in rivers and the sea.
Ministers were accused of being “shamed” into adopting Labour’s plans to get tough on the companies blamed for spillages. Executives have received £26million in bonuses since 2019 despite harm to the environment.
Environment Secretary Steve Barclay told The Times : “No one should profit from illegal behaviour and it’s time that water company bosses took responsibility for that.”
Ofwat, the regulator, will consult on what should trigger a bonus ban. It could include firms that have been successfully prosecuted for the most serious categories of pollution, such as significantly contaminating a bathing site. The change, which will apply to chief executives and all board members, will come into effect from April.
Several water firm chiefs voluntarily waived their bonuses last year amid anger over sewage spills, including the bosses of Southern Water and Thames Water. But, five did take their bonuses, including Anglian Water’s Peter Simpson, who got £302,033 bonus in 2022-23 even though his company’s environmental performance was rated two stars out of four.
Teachers, civil servants and train drivers walk out in biggest strike in decade
Labour’s Shadow Environment Secretary Steve Reed said: “Once again Labour leads, the Conservatives follow. Labour called for the water regulator to be given new powers to block bonuses for polluting water bosses last year. After doing nothing for 14 years, the Conservatives have now been shamed into adopting Labour’s plan. But they must go further and back Labour’s whole plan to clean up our rivers, and ensure that executives who are responsible for repeated illegal sewage dumping, face criminal charges.”
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
