Plaid Cymru calls for powers to address the "scourge of sewage" in Wales's waterways
Wales has “constitutional right” to power over water, to help tackle soaring bills – Delyth Jewell MS
Plaid Cymru has today (Wednesday 7 June) renewed its calls for Wales to have full control over its water resources to address the problem of sewage in waterways, and to help reduce water bills.
Plaid Cymru’s spokesperson for Climate Change and Energy, Delyth Jewell MS said that the privatisation of water is a “failed model” and the current legislative framework “doesn’t match Wales’s powers over water to our borders.”
This means that Wales lacks the ability to legislate to stop or control the transfer of water from Wales by private companies that are mainly based in England, but whose jurisdiction does extend into Wales, such as United Utilities, which owns the abstraction licence for the Llyn Efyrnwy (Lake Vyrnwy) reservoir.
While the Silk Commission recommended ending this anomaly, and matching Wales’s powers over water to its borders - as is already the case in Scotland and Northern Ireland - Plaid Cymru recently revealed that Welsh Ministers requested that the devolution of Water, as set out in the 2017 Wales Act, be delayed.
Plaid Cymru is taking a debate to the Senedd that calls for Wales to have the full control over its water resources.
Delyth Jewell MS, Plaid Cymru’s spokesperson for Climate Change, said:
“At a time when water bills are rising, and the public have genuine concerns about sewage in our rivers and on our beaches, today’s debate could not be more important.
“This is as much about urging Members of the Senedd to support our motion as it is about holding the Welsh Government to account for seemingly placing the transfer of powers on indefinite hold.
“The mechanism to trigger this transfer of power already exists – the Welsh Government need only put in a formal request, but since their request to delay this five years ago, they’ve provided no further clarification as to when this will happen, if at all.
“When the broader water system, which does not respect national borders, puts privatised, commercial companies alongside the Dŵr Cymru model – it’s the people of Wales that are losing out.
“Wales has a constitutional right to power over water, which would give us the means to address the problem of sewage in our rivers and seas, and tackle soaring water bills – and through Plaid Cymru’s debate, the Senedd has the opportunity to show their support for our calls.”
The Plaid Cymru Motion
Plaid Cymru is taking a debate to the Senedd on Wednesday 7 June to propose that the Senedd:
- Believes that:
- Wales should have full control over its water resources, including the ability to regulate the transfer of water beyond its borders;
- further devolution of powers over water would also enable Welsh Ministers to more effectively address the problem of sewage discharges into Wales's rivers and seas; and
- the privatisation of water is a failed model that has led to soaring bills and a disastrous deterioration in the quality of Wales's water.
- Calls on the Welsh Government to:
- formally request the enactment of section 48(1) of the Wales Act 2017, which would fully align the Senedd’s legislative competence over water with the geographic boundary of Wales;
- formally request further powers over the licensing of sewage undertakers in Wales; and
- introduce legislation within the current Senedd term to place the drainage and wastewater management plans of water companies in Wales on a statutory footing.