PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
Public ownership of water (16 July 2024)

That this House condemns the mismanagement and underinvestment which led to untreated sewage being discharged into English waterways for more than 3.6 million hours in 2023; notes that water companies in England have incurred debts of more than £64 billion and paid out £78 billion in dividends since they were privatised debt-free in 1989; further notes that water companies paid out £1.4 billion in dividends in 2022, even as 11 of them were fined in the same year for missing performance targets; objects to Ofwat's proposal to allow water companies to increase bills by an average of 21% despite overwhelming evidence of mismanagement; recognises that climate change is making flooding and droughts more frequent and more severe, necessitating changes to the way water systems are managed in order to build resilience; believes that private for-profit ownership is not an appropriate model for water, as an essential utility where no meaningful competition is possible; calls on the Government to rule out any bailout of Thames Water, which would send a dangerous signal to other utility companies that reckless decisions carry no private risk; further calls for Thames Water to be placed in special administration and for its assets and functions to be transferred to a publicly-owned company; and also calls for all water companies in England to be brought into public ownership so that the water network can be managed for the benefit of all citizens.

Sponsored by:
Ellie Chowns (Green Party)