Sewage dumping in UK waterways

That this House expresses its concern at the dumping of sewage into UK waterways; recognises that the practice is dangerous to public health and damaging to the environment; further recognises that the pollution is making it unsafe for people to swim in natural designated bathing sites such as the River Wharfe in Ilkely, West Yorkshire, which has been given a water quality rating of poor by the Environment Agency; believes the problem is a result of the lack of investment by the private water companies who have persistently failed to address this issue; notes that £19 billion was paid out in dividends to shareholders in water and sewerage businesses operating in England between 2010 and 2021, which is an average of £1.7 billion a year; further notes that water bills in England and Wales have increased by 40 per cent above inflation since privatisation in 1989; calls on the Government to immediately place a legal duty on the water companies to avoid sewage dumping; and expresses its support for the public ownership of the UK water system so that the profits of this national asset benefit all the people of the UK and not just a small group of shareholders.