Anneliese Dodds, Labour MP for Oxford East, has written today to George Eustice, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to draw his attention to a new report by the Oxford River Improvement Campaign (ORIC), which found that half the sewage works in the Upper Thames discharged raw sewage for more than ten hours a week in 2021.

Anneliese has consistently supported measures to address this issue, including in Parliament last October, as reported by the Oxford Mail https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/19672563.oxfordshire-mps-voted-dumping-sewage-rivers/. Labour has committed to fix the “broken system”, by toughening up laws on pollution by reviewing legislation on enforcement and sanctions, and introducing penalties for under-reporting of incidents. Labour would put clear legal requirements in place to reduce raw sewage discharging into our land, rivers and coastline, and would ensure that bills paid to water companies are actually directed towards quality services and investment in the network.

Anneliese Dodds said:

“This disturbing report outlines the disgusting extent of untreated sewage outflows into Oxford’s rivers, which have worsened since the Conservative Government’s loosening of regulation.

“Rapid action is needed now.

“Labour’s plan would deliver this.”