Emma Hardy MP: speeches

Speeches

• 3 Jun 2026 · South East Water: Disruption of Supply · Hansard source

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  I share the right hon. Gentleman’s outrage at the situation. He is quite right to say that one of the answers is the reservoir, which will take a long time to build, but this is not just about the reservoir. It is also about desalination plants, and the need for more urgent action to tackle leakage; too much water is lost through leakage. Across Government, we are looking at building standards for new homes and at how we can make homes more water-efficient, because this is a big problem. I hope that I can offer the right hon. Gentleman some reassurance by telling him that the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority has been doing some mapping to identify areas of the country that have more acute water shortage problems and what we need to resolve them. I asked the company, “What are the actions you can take now?” There is no excuse for poor communication; that is something it can fix overnight. It can also improve its relationship with the local resilience forum. That does not cost any money. It can look at its bulk supply deal with Southern Water—that is another action it can take. It can accelerate its work on leakage reduction—that is another action it can take. Fundamentally, though, the right hon. Gentleman is quite right: the answer is building reservoirs and having greater water storage across our country. Quite frankly, I think it is that we have a situation where we complain about the drought all through the summer and complain about the rain all through the winter, yet have no way of storing that water. I am urgently trying to change that.

• 3 Jun 2026 · South East Water: Disruption of Supply · Hansard source

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  South East Water is a water only company, not a sewage company, so we can criticise it for many things, but sewage pollution is not one of them. When the Government came to power we introduced customer panels on day one, and since then we have secured £104 billion of private investment, passed the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025 and given the Environment Agency more powers to monitor water companies and uncover wrongdoing. In fact, the EA has done more than 10,000 inspections of water companies and uncovered 81 examples that have gone on to criminal investigations. I gently point out to the hon. Lady that under the coalition Government funding for the EA was cut by more than a half. We have also introduced criminal liability for water companies, introduced automatic penalties, reduced the burden of proof, introduced cost recovery, banned the sale and supply of wet wipes, looked at reforming our bathing waters, established the water delivery taskforce and have abolished Ofwat. Yes, there is more work to do on top of that, but I stand proud on the record of the actions that we have already taken following years of inaction.

• 3 Jun 2026 · South East Water: Disruption of Supply · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend and all members of the EFRA Committee for their excellent report, which was forensic in looking into the failures of South East Water. It was a brilliant, useful document. He is right that tough consequences are needed if concerns are raised and ignored; that cannot be allowed to continue to happen. That is exactly why we want to create a new regulator with strong powers and teeth to be able to take action. It is also why we are looking at introducing this performance improvement regime for water companies so that, if we identify failure in a water company, the regulator has proper oversight to turn that company around and make it improve, with consequences if it does not.

• 3 Jun 2026 · South East Water: Disruption of Supply · Hansard source

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  The hon. Lady raises an important point—I remember how powerfully she described the impact on her constituents and businesses when we were last in the Chamber talking about South East Water, so I know this is something she cares deeply about. As I have said, one of the things we are doing through the Water Delivery Taskforce is identifying areas of the country where there are more acute water shortages, and therefore what actions can be taken to ensure that people have the homes to live in that they need, and businesses have the water they need, without having a detrimental impact on the residents who already live in those areas. South East Water, in particular, is reliant on a bulk supply agreement with Southern Water. That is one of the things I am keen to look into the details of, to make sure that that can be guaranteed, whatever circumstances Southern Water finds itself in. There are various other actions we can take; I have mentioned businesses, building standards and the way we build homes. In Cambridge, they have looked at retrofitting some homes to make them use less water. There are various other rules and regulations on businesses’ use of water—at the moment, we have a slightly bizarre situation where businesses have to use potable water. They are not able to use other types of water, and it seems a bit crazy that we are wasting drinking water on things that are not drinking or for domestic customers. We are looking at a whole spread of different actions to make sure that we have the water we need; the nine new reservoirs, the desalination plants and all those things are brilliant, but they are not going to be in place this summer or next summer, so we are looking at what more immediate actions we can take.

• 3 Jun 2026 · South East Water: Disruption of Supply · Hansard source

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  I share my hon. Friend’s outrage at the situation. He has been a fantastic champion for his constituents in raising this matter with me a number of times. On the immediate action that South East Water can take, we have said to the company that it needs to be prepared for future hot weather during the summer. What is its resilience plan, what actions will it take and where can it identify immediate actions to take? The longer-term solution is greater water storage. Fundamentally, this company is a water-only company. It has one job—that is all—and that job is to supply water, and it is, quite frankly, astonishing that it is failing to do that at the moment. My hon. Friend will be aware that South East Water is under investigation by Ofwat and the Drinking Water Inspectorate as to whether, because of its recent credit downgrade, its licence conditions have been broken—so serious actions are being taken against the company. I will, of course, update the House as soon as I hear more about the actions it will be taking in the immediate short term. I should also say that the CEO has offered his resignation and the chair has already resigned. There is an interim chair, and the CEO is currently there while the organisation looks to replace him.

• 27 Apr 2026 · Draft Conservation of Habitats and Species (Offshore Wind) (Amendment etc.) Regulations 2026 · Hansard source

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  I cannot give the hon. Gentleman a list of all the people that we have engaged with. I have been reassured by the Department that the engagement has been substantive and extensive across all the different organisations. Of course, if what I have just said is found to be not correct, I will make sure that I correct it for him, but that is certainly my understanding. How it will work with the marine recovery fund was also mentioned. That fund is exciting, and the statutory instrument works with it to support the acceleration of offshore wind development. By looking at the different types of compensatory measures available for offshore wind impacts, the statutory instrument will increase the number and range of compensatory measures that can be added to the library. The hon. Member for Keighley and Ilkley raised an important point about moving through the hierarchy. To be fair, a number of non-governmental organisations have said that they do not want developers to go straight down, and asked how we ensure that the hierarchy is in place and a developer does not go straight down to tier 3. I welcome the opportunity to expand on that now. What we are going to be doing— [ Interruption. ] I have had inspiration—it just arrived; it happens like that sometimes. The fishing industry did not engage on the wider testing on the guidance, but will be engaged on measures and met frequently on the policy and the statutory instrument. [ Official Report, 14 May 2026; Vol. 786. c. 6WC.] (Correction) I thank my officials for that inspiration. There are two circumstances where it is permissible to move through the hierarchy, as outlined in the proposed compensatory hierarchy, published in the policy note. The first applies to the availability of measures for a developer to move to tier 2, or in some cases tier 3, if they can demonstrate that no, or insufficient, suitable tier 1 measures are available, or they can progress to tier 3 if no suitable tier 2 measures are available. The second circumstance allows a developer to progress through the hierarchy if they can demonstrate that doing so will enable a greater ecological benefit. Progression to tier 3 will be allowed only if a developer can demonstrate that no tier 1 or tier 2 measures are available, or where tier 3 measures would deliver a greater ecological benefit. Developers must submit clear evidence to the consenting authority who will assess proposals on a case-by-case basis, informed by advice from statutory nature conservation bodies before allowing progression to tier 3. Where tier 3 is permitted, developers must draw from the library of strategic compensatory measures. Measures can be added to the library only once they have been approved by the relevant Minister. We have tried to put in various safeguards throughout to ensure that tier 3 measures cannot become the default or easy options. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Calder Valley for the important issues he often raises—I am sure he will continue to do so. He is a passionate supporter of his constituents. I thank him for his support for the statutory instrument. I hope I answered all the questions from all hon. Members. I thank the Committee, and commend to it the regulations. Question put and agreed to.

• 27 Apr 2026 · Draft Conservation of Habitats and Species (Offshore Wind) (Amendment etc.) Regulations 2026 · Hansard source

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  I will come to the hon. Gentleman’s point on fishermen now—let me rearrange my papers. Regarding the impact of the statutory instrument on fishers, we are actively considering how best to engage marine users, including fishers, in the development of wider compensatory measures, particularly where those measures may affect their activity. Any future compensatory measures enabled by these reforms that could impact the commercial fishing industry will be fully assessed and DEFRA will work closely with the fishing industry to discuss practicalities, ensuring that any proposals are developed and implemented in a fair and workable way. The hon. Gentleman raised an important point about spatial squeeze, which is a real issue for the fishing community and one that we certainly recognise in DEFRA. We have looked at the cumulative restrictions on the fisheries from offshore wind, as well as nature protection and how that impacts the spatial squeeze, and the Crown Estate is working with the sector to get its input into the processes to refine sites for future offshore wind leasing. In many areas, different activities can co-exist and are able to work together. Marine Management Organisation data shows that there is some level of fishing in around 80% of the English sea. Depending on the fishing gear used, fishing can overlap with other activities. For example, fishing can still take place over telecom cables or in some other areas.

• 27 Apr 2026 · Draft Conservation of Habitats and Species (Offshore Wind) (Amendment etc.) Regulations 2026 · Hansard source

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  I beg to move, That the Committee has considered the draft Conservation of Habitats and Species (Offshore Wind) (Amendment etc.) Regulations 2026. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairwomanship, Mrs Harris. The draft regulations, which were laid before the House on 26 February, are a critical part of delivering the Government’s clean power mission. The mission is central to strengthening the UK’s energy security, reducing household energy bills, supporting long-term economic growth and tackling climate change. Offshore wind plays an increasingly important role in delivering that energy security at a time when it matters more than ever. The statutory instrument provides a vital opportunity to accelerate offshore wind deployment while delivering meaningful strategic benefits for our marine environment, reflecting the Government’s belief that climate action and nature recovery must go hand in hand. Let me begin by outlining the challenges that the draft regulations are intended to address. Under the existing approach, developers are required to follow the mitigation hierarchy by first avoiding impacts on protected sites, then minimising and mitigating impacts. Only where impacts remain unavoidable are developers required to deliver compensation, normally through measures that benefit the impacted feature. As offshore wind deployment has been expanded, it has become increasingly difficult for developers to secure compensatory measures that benefit the impacted features. That difficulty has become one of the main causes of delays in offshore wind consenting decisions. The draft regulations address the issue by increasing the number of environmental compensatory measures available for offshore wind developments. Where measures that benefit the impacted feature are not available, or where a different measure can provide a greater ecological benefit, developers will be able to use wider compensatory measures. Those measures will deliver meaningful benefits to ecologically similar features or the UK marine protected area network more widely. For example, developers could support broader initiatives such as programmes to strengthen seabird populations. Such innovative approaches illustrate how the Government are ensuring that environmental protection and economic growth can be pursued in parallel. The reforms are an essential part of the offshore wind environmental improvement package developed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Through the establishment of a library of strategic compensatory measures and the marine recovery fund, the package is already delivering a more strategic, co-ordinated and scalable approach for offshore wind while enhancing the marine environment. Before I return to the details of the legislation, I thank the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee for its careful consideration of the statutory instrument. The Committee’s report raised concerns about the SI being laid before the House without the accompanying draft guidance. That approach was taken because the SI is a critical component of delivering the clean power mission. Proceeding in this way has enabled parliamentary scrutiny to proceed without delay while allowing sufficient time to finalise the guidance to the highest standard and, importantly, ensuring alignment with the devolved Governments. The guidance will be published on 21 May, aligning with the SI’s coming into force. That will ensure that stakeholders have clear and comprehensive guidance from day one. The published policy note and the Government’s response to the consultation provide Parliament with a strong basis for effective scrutiny. The SI will enable offshore wind projects to deliver a wider range of environmental compensatory measures. Without action to expand the compensatory measures available, we will limit both the growth of offshore wind and our ability to deliver meaningful strategic benefits for nature. The SI applies to offshore wind developments in UK offshore waters and English inshore waters, and to certain offshore wind functions in the inshore waters of Wales and Northern Ireland. I hope that all makes sense. The draft regulations introduce a new compensation duty specifically for offshore wind. It will enable wider compensatory measures and require that all compensatory measures must benefit the UK marine protected area network. Environmental safeguards are central to the new approach. They will ensure that the most effective compensatory measures are identified, selected and implemented to deliver the strongest possible outcomes for nature. As part of that, the SI introduces a requirement for the Secretary of State to publish a compensation hierarchy. Developers must select compensation measures in line with that hierarchy, prioritising those that benefit the impacted feature, subject to certain circumstances. That hierarchy is a central pillar to the new approach and a key safeguard. Another is the role of the statutory nature conservation bodies, which will continue to play an important role in advising on environmental compensatory measures. Ministers will consider that expert advice alongside the environmental principles when approving wider compensatory measures. As part of the reforms, we are exploring the development of a new public compensatory register. Our ambition is to bring together information on all compensatory measures delivered across the UK marine protected area network, improving transparency and helping us to identify where future compensatory measures could have the greatest impact. I can also reassure hon. Members that the impacts of the SI on both offshore wind developments and the environment will be reviewed. The first report will be published by April 2031, with subsequent reviews at intervals of no more than five years, as required by the regulations. I recognise there may be some concerns about the reforms, particularly where they amend existing and established environmental protections, but let me be clear: this Government remain fully committed to delivering on both our climate and nature ambitions. In conclusion, the SI implements necessary changes to environmental compensatory requirements to support the expansion of offshore wind deployment. We are confident that it will uphold strong environmental protections while enabling sustainable growth in offshore wind.

• 27 Apr 2026 · Draft Conservation of Habitats and Species (Offshore Wind) (Amendment etc.) Regulations 2026 · Hansard source

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  I am grateful to hon. Members across the Committee for the considered points they have raised. Without these reforms, vital offshore wind projects will continue to encounter obstacles in securing appropriate environmental compensation measures, delaying progress towards clean renewable energy. This SI puts forward a balanced and pragmatic new approach to the environmental compensatory requirements for offshore wind, one that supports faster deployment of renewable energy and, crucially, unlocks new opportunities to improve the health of our marine environment. I reassure the Committee that environmental protection sits at the heart of this policy, and our commitment to maintaining strong environmental protection remains firm. This SI makes targeted amendments to specific parts of habitats regulation in relation to compensatory measures for offshore wind. Robust environmental safeguards have been put in place to ensure that those changes will not weaken our existing protection, and to ensure continued compliance with all domestic and international environmental commitments. In response to the points made by the Liberal Democrat spokesperson, the hon. Member for Glastonbury and Somerton, this approach is fully consistent with the Government’s wider environmental ambitions, including our commitment to 30 by 30. The UK has already designated about 38% of our seas as marine protected areas, demonstrating our determination to protect the marine environment at scale. Under the Environment Act 2021, there is a statutory target for at least 70% of marine protected area features in English waters to be in favourable condition by 2042, with the remainder in recovering condition. We know that some of these sites continue to face significant pressure. Let me turn to the points on the guidance made by the spokesperson for the official Opposition, the hon. Member for Keighley and Ilkley. In response to the concern that important policy details have not been included in this statutory instrument, I reassure the Committee that we have been fully transparent in the published policy note on what the statutory instrument policy intention is and on what the accompanying guidance will cover. The guidance will explain the key elements of the statutory instrument and how it should be implemented and understood. It will also provide clarity on broader elements of existing habitat regulation requirements. As I mentioned in my opening speech, I recognise the concerns regarding the Department’s decision to lay the statutory instrument before Parliament ahead of publishing the draft guidance. However, the statutory instrument is essential in delivering the clean power mission and ensuring that progress is not delayed. Although the guidance is an important supporting document, it is a technical and operational, designed to explain to practitioners how to put the policies into action. We have tested the draft guidance with users and held constructive discussions with key stakeholders on its content. Alongside that, we have worked closely with the Scottish Government to ensure alignment as far as possible with their respective guidance. I reassure hon. Members that that engagement has strengthened the guidance, ensuring that it will be robust and fit for purpose when published on 21 May.

• 23 Apr 2026 · Synthetic Chemicals · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for highlighting this issue. As he said at the beginning of his remarks, it is clear that it is one that many people were not talking about until recently. I thank him for recognising that it is this Government who are creating the plan. I hope he will continue to work with us to raise this issue and finally tackle it in this country.

• 19 Mar 2026 · Flood Preparedness: Esher and Walton · Hansard source

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  I was delighted to visit my hon. Friend’s constituency to speak to some of the people who have been impacted by flooding, and to see the area for myself. She has been a formidable champion on this issue, and of course we will continue to have those conversations to ensure that we do everything we can to protect as many people as possible from the devastation of flooding.

• 19 Mar 2026 · Flood Preparedness: Esher and Walton · Hansard source

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  I pay tribute to all the flood groups up and down the country and those volunteers who do so much to add to our flood resilience. If the hon. Lady would like to write to me specifically about that matter, I will have a think about which agency is the best one to help. We want to enable more people to help with our flood resilience and response, not make it too difficult.

• 19 Mar 2026 · Flood Preparedness: Esher and Walton · Hansard source

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  I have said this previously, but it is always worth reiterating. On Tuesday I announced the biggest ever flood programme, with £1.4 billion investment in 2026-27, over £1million of which will go to projects in Esher and Walton.

• 19 Mar 2026 · Private Sea Defences: Charges · Hansard source

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  The annual sea defence charge is a legal obligation that was placed on property owners in Sovereign Harbour in 1988, so it was introduced under Thatcher and was unchanged under the coalition. It contributes to the maintenance of the harbour and the sea defences on the south coast between Pevensey Bay and Eastbourne. We spent nearly £5 million this year, and plan to invest over £100 million over the next decade. Of that £5 million, £400,000 comes from the rent charge in 2026-27. We have also secured record funding of £1.4 billion for over 600 flood schemes across all regions in England.

• 19 Mar 2026 · Private Sea Defences: Charges · Hansard source

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  We are committed to supporting coastal communities, and that is why, between April 2024 and March 2026, over £600 million has been invested in protection from sea flooding, tidal flooding and coastal erosion.

• 19 Mar 2026 · Flooding · Hansard source

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  The right hon. Gentleman raises an important point. Quite often, we find that flooding farmland is used to protect villages and rural communities. I have been thinking about the best way to take this issue forward, after meeting a farmer when I went to Somerset, and seeing the extensive flooding right across his land. We have put £91 million into internal drainage boards, which is the most money that has ever gone into trying to support farmers in draining agricultural land. I am actively considering this issue, and am having conversations about it at the moment.

• 19 Mar 2026 · Flooding · Hansard source

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  I know how much my hon. Friend cares about this issue. As well as announcing the biggest ever major flood investment, we are also changing the flood and coastal erosion funding policy. As part of those changes, at least 20% of future investment will be set aside to help the most deprived communities. The reforms will make it quicker and easier to deliver flood defences, and ensure that deprived communities continue to receive vital investment. We are also investing at least £300 million in natural flood management over the next 10 years.

• 19 Mar 2026 · Flooding · Hansard source

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  On Tuesday, I was delighted to announce the biggest ever flood programme; we are investing £1.4 billion across 2026-27 in over 600 flood schemes across all regions of England. The Government are investing at least £10.5 billion to 2036 in building new flood schemes and strengthening existing defences, and that record funding will protect 900,000 properties over the next decade.

• 19 Mar 2026 · Air Pollution · Hansard source

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  I thank the hon. Lady, and pay tribute to Rosamund for the campaigning that she has been doing on this for years. Of course, I support the objectives of improving air quality and cleaning up air pollution, and agree with the hon. Lady on how important that is to public health. That is why we are already taking action to deliver meaningful improvements to air quality, through commitments and actions set out in the environmental improvement plan.

• 19 Mar 2026 · Air Pollution · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for raising this. I know how important it is for him and his community to see that we clean up our rivers, lakes and seas, and he has been campaigning on this for a long time. Of course, I would be delighted to meet him.

• 19 Mar 2026 · Air Pollution · Hansard source

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  I take this opportunity to congratulate the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, on the excellent progress made on reducing air pollution in London, which was recently identified as one of 19 leading cities in reducing air pollution. Communities across England will benefit from cleaner air, thanks to our actions to tackle fine particulate pollution, which harms public health and is linked to asthma, lung conditions and heart disease. We will deliver that by modernising industrial permitting, exploring tighter standards for new wood-burning appliances to protect public health, and increasing communication of air-quality information.

• 19 Mar 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  It is incredibly distressing to hear of people falling ill when using our bathing waters. One reform that we are looking at—being led by Chris Whitty—is about public health and water. We want to ensure that when we are making reforms to the water industry, we do so through the lens of thinking about it as a public health issue as well as a pollution issue. We must take action so that we do not continue to see people falling ill after using our beautiful bathing waters.

• 19 Mar 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  I will be happy to look into the matter and get back to the right hon. Gentleman in writing.

• 19 Mar 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  The short answer is yes. The Minister for Housing and I sit on the water delivery taskforce, which considers whether we have the water we need where we need it. We have done some heatmapping to find areas of stress, and have committed to building nine new reservoirs—none has been built over the past 30 years. We also sit on the Ox-Cam group, looking at areas where there is acute stress, to ensure that we have the water security required to deliver growth, support our environment and build the homes that we need.

• 19 Mar 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  I share my hon. Friend’s anger about the poor service that many people receive from Thames Water. I can absolutely assure him that Thames Water is being held to account—a record £122 million fine was issued by Ofwat only a few months ago.