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Written question asked by Gareth Thomas (Labour) on Tuesday, 11 December 2018, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 13 December 2018. It was answered by Baroness Coffey (Conservative) on Wednesday, 19 December 2018 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.


Water Companies

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many enforcement actions the Environment Agency has taken against each water company in England in each of the last 10 years; and of those enforcement actions how many resulted in financial sanctions against the water company.

Answer

The Environment Agency uses prosecutions, civil sanctions, formal cautions, enforcement notices and warning letters as enforcement actions against water companies. Information on financial sanctions resulting from prosecutions against water companies is provided in the attached table. It is not possible to collate data on formal cautions, enforcement notices and warning letters against each water company in England in each of the last 10 years in the time available.

Enforcement Undertakings (EUs) are a civil sanction and constitute a voluntary offer made by offenders, containing actions to address the cause and effect of their offending. The Environment Agency is increasingly using EUs for suitable cases to restore or enhance the environment, improve practices of the offending business and ensure future compliance with environmental requirements.

The Environment Agency has accepted Enforcement Undertakings from the following water companies for environmental offences:

Company

Number of Enforcement Undertakings (2014 – )

Amount raised for environmental projects (£)

Anglian Water Services Limited

9

560000

Northumbrian Water Limited

6

912000

Seven Trent Water limited

0

N/A

Southern Water Limited

0

N/A

South West Water Limited

2

89900

Thames Water Utilities Limited

4

759000

United Utilities Water Limited

6

935650

Wessex Water Services Limited

5

1301000

Yorkshire Water Limited

1

200000


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
201099
Session
2017-19
Subjects
Finance Enforcement Environment Agency Water companies Sanctions
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk