Barry questions the Secretary of State on water reform

On Tuesday 10th March, the EAC heard evidence from the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Barry asked the Secretary of State a series of questions on government work to reform the water sector, following 37 years of failed privatisation in which bills have soared, illegal sewage has been dumped thousands of times, and companies have racked up tens of billions of pounds in debt and dividend payments to shareholders.

As highlighted in the recent Channel 4 docu-drama Dirty Business, people’s lives have been ruined due to systematic illegality and failings on the part of the companies, various regulators, and governments.

Barry asks the SoS about storm overflows.

Barry tackles the issue of investment into the water sector and the supposed costs of nationalisation

Barry grills Thames Water bosses

In the hearing of the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs Select Committee on Tuesday 15th July, Barry interrogated Thames Water Chief Executive Christopher Weston, and Thames Water Chair, Sir Adrian Montague.

Barry quizzes Christopher Weston over Thames Water’s environmental obligations.

Barry probes into Thames Water’s finances with its Chair, Sir Adrian Montague.

Barry raises constituency flooding issues

In the Environmental Audit Committee hearing on Wednesday 9th July, Barry raised the issue of the Wembley Brook flooding in Brent West with the Chief Executive of the Environment Agency.

He further probed both the Environment Agency and Minister Emma Hardy on the Government’s flood management.

Barry questions the Chief Executive of the Environment Agency about Wembley Brook.

Barry presses Philip Duffy on the work of the Environment Agency.

Barry questions Minister Hardy about the Government’s flood protection work.

With climate change making flooding events more likely, are flood resilience efforts fit for purpose?

It has been estimated that climate change could cause one in four properties to be at flood risk by 2050, but what are the solutions and is the Government’s current approach to flood resilience adequate?

 

The Environmental Audit Committee seeked to get to the bottom of these issues with the Climate Change Committee’s Adaptation Committee, the National Infrastructure Commission, academics specialising in flood risk and experts in flood and coastal risk management.

 

Members explored current Government policy and flood resilience approaches, and what may be needed as the future flood risk becomes greater with climate change. They considered nature-based solutions vs grey infrastructure, and how joined up England’s monitoring of the flood risk is.

 

The evidence session came following widespread flooding across England earlier in the month following heavy rainfall and snowmelt. Last week, a survey by Climate Barometer found that three-quarters of people think the UK is not prepared to deal with flooding and other extreme weather driven by climate change.  

     

Witnesses 

    

From 14.30:

  • The Baroness Brown of Cambridge DBE, Chair of the Adaptation Committee, Committee on Climate Change

  • Professor Richard Dawson, Member of the Adaptation Committee, Committee on Climate Change

 

From 15.15:

  • Professor Jim Hall, Commissioner, National Infrastructure Commission

  • Professor Briony McDonagh, Professor of Environmental Humanities, University of Hull

  • Professor Larissa Naylor, Professor of Geomorphology and Environmental Geography, University of Glasgow

Dr. Paul Sayers BEng PhD CEng MICE, Partner at Sayers and Partners

How can we protect the marine environment with such a busy seabed?   

Policies to protect the marine environment and ensure 30% of waters are protected by 2030 was the focus of the Environmental Audit Committee’s first evidence session of its ‘Governing the marine environment’ inquiry.

The inquiry was launched in December 2024 to examine whether provisions of international treaties aimed at protecting global seas and oceans are adequate, particularly in the light of current competing demands on the marine environment including fishing, undersea cabling, renewable energy, shipping and leisure.

Members aimed to complete a stocktake of how the UK is implementing policies protecting the marine environment by the UN Oceans Conference in June 2025, and will, if necessary, press Ministers to address any limitations in the current domestic and international policy landscape.   How can we protect the marine environment with such a busy seabed?   

Barry grills Ministers on British science in Antarctica

British scientists and researchers have been active in Antarctica for over a century: but what is their role in the region, and how is their work deepening our knowledge of climate change?

Science Minister Lord Vallance and Foreign Office Minister Stephen Doughty MP gave evidence to the Environmental Audit Committee as members conclude its predecessor Committee’s work on ‘The UK and the Antarctic environment’. The inquiry was established to examine the role of UK science in understanding the effects of climate change in Antarctica, and how well the UK Government is meeting its obligations under the Antarctic Treaty.

The importance of the right tree, in the right place at the right time

On the 27th of November 2024 Barry sat on a session of Environmental Audit Committee to ask the question: Can the UK reduce emissions by 81% without behaviour change?

This panel quizzed 2 representatives from the Climate Change Committee. In addition to exploring what is needed to meet the UK’s NDC, the Committee also discussed the CCC’s annual report to Parliament made in June 2024, seeking the CCC’s views on the prospects of meeting the Sixth Carbon Budget, looking forward to the CCC’s advice on the Seventh Carbon Budget, and discussing the CCC’s assessment of climate-related announcements in the recent Autumn Budget.