Plaid Cymru calls for powers over water to be devolved to Wales
Plaid Cymru Westminster Leader, Liz Saville Roberts MP, has slammed proposals to “move vast volumes of water from Wales” to the southeast of England and urged Westminster to devolve powers over water to the Welsh Government.
The MP for Dwyfor Meirionnydd said it would be “environmentally baffling” to move water from Wales to address drought rather than fix the 630 million litres of water lost every day by Thames Water through leaky pipes.
Thames Water has published options for tackling climate crisis-induced droughts across London and the south-east of England, which include transferring millions of litres a day from the River Thames and replacing it with 155m litres of water a day from Wales.
The UK’s Environment Agency has told Thames Water to do more to fix the 630m litres of water it leaks a day before it starts taking water from the River Thames or from Wales to tackle drought problems.
Ms Saville Roberts called on the Secretary of State for Wales to prove he is “Wales’s man in cabinet” by activating section 48 of the 2017 Wales Act, which would align the boundary for legislative competence for water with the national border – thereby fully devolving water to Wales.
Pre-devolution
Currently, legislative competence is based on pre-devolution water pipe and sewer networks rather than the national border.
“Thames Water wastes 630 million litres of water every day through leaky pipes. Rather than fix this environmentally baffling waste – they’re planning on moving vast volumes of water from Wales instead,” Ms Saville Roberts said.
“Our natural resources are being diverted elsewhere without recompense and without consultation either with local people.
“He says he’s Wales’s man in cabinet. Will he prove therefore it by activating section 48 of the Wales Act 2017 so that decisions about Welsh resources are made in Wales for the benefit of the people of Wales?”
David TC Davies, the Secretary of State responded that he is not responsible for Thames Water and criticised Dŵr Cymru / Welsh Water for leaking sewage into Welsh rivers.
He failed to address the question of powers over Welsh water.
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About time water is literally liquid gold, especially with how the futures looking, its right that the money for those resources goes into the area they are taken from. This is a good policy that will strengthen our economy and should be applauded and supported.
“water is literally liquid gold”
No it is not! Come on….
You try living without water then, loads of life in deserts. Water is life there’s no life without it it’s impossible, it’s the most valuable resource on the planet.
Right, right; yeah, yeah, yeah….
But its not LITERALLY gold though, is it?
Stop being so bloody annoying. Everyone else knows what Chris means. There is always one a hole.
Make no bloody Mistake they are already looking for Water from Cymru for London and the South east of England they have water shortages there even in a wet summer Thames water that serve that area filled some Dams in to build houses they have taken enough from us without asking or paying for it THEY MUST NOT BE ALLOWED
Because they’ve let to many people in, only 35% of London is native white British, the more people they let in the greater the demand. You can’t have your cake and eat it to.
Sorry 37% according to actual figures
This process is slowly happening in Wales too. I think we need a referendum to decide on such drastic changes to our society and way of life.
Can you imagine Plaid Cymru campaigning along those lines though? Mustn’t giggle….
Everyone else seems to think facts are racist but if we keep letting populations grow beyond there means with uncontrolled immigration which London experiences everyday we’ll have no resources left at all. You could also say it’s racist not sending water because the large asylum seeker and immigrant population needs fresh drinking water so we either send it to London or resettle every single one of them in Wales.
You could also say that its racist to ethnically cleanse the native ethnic group from their own capital city.
You could, funny how everyone ignores it tho, see if they do when it happens to there own area. I appreciate the genuine reply to, good common sense.
It looks like you’re both just using any issue covered on Nation Cymru as a hook to hang what the single issue you really want to promote.
(I’m assuming there is a both rather than one having a conversation with himself)
London is a classic example of a bloated overgrown city that has expanded without any regard for how it draws resources to sustain itself. England/UK should have been better prepared for over a century and in particular since 1945. Instead they just pressed on with a “take it from anywhere” approach, hardly a policy, and since privatisation of an array of utilities the speculative, profiteering approach has intensified. In the recent past I have jokingly said ” let them set up the pipelines but make sure that meters are stuck on every pipe so that invoices can be rendered on… Read more »
10p per litre seems fair.
If, on any political issue, the interests/needs of England and Wales clash those of England will always prevail because England – with 82% of MPs – has a massive majority in the House of Commons whichever party is in power – Tory or Labour. Since the Acts of Union 1536/43 England has made use of its huge population dominance to control Wales (via its resulting huge preponderance of MPs) – it’s a far cheaper and effective method of control than costly military occupation.
Let’s be honest, in Tory eyes, we are nothing but a colony, at best Western English. David TC Davies, Wales’s man in the UK Cabinet, don’t make me laugh.
There is more chance of hell freezing over. Let’s gain independence and make sure we get the money we are due.
Not only the money we are due but an equal share of all British treasures and gold held in vaults in the south east. Also recompense for all the coal, gold, slate, copper etc. that they looted from here.
It should be then we will not be subject to filthy seas and being subject to our water being taken for England! After all it is us that has to put up with all the rain!
One must admit that this David Davies, Welsh secretary, is as much use to Wales as t**s on a bull. If he ever backs anything in favour of Wales and the Welsh people it will be a miracle. Only Wales could have anyone like this to55er.
That could be said about any of the Welsh Secretary’s of the last 50 years
It will end up with Wales in a drought and the south east of England filling their swimming pools and we are stupid enough to allow it to happen.
THIS COULD BE A HUUUUGE VOTE WINNER FOR PLAID.
Let’s see whether they can generate interest among the voters in the form of meetings, civil action in communities, and protests.
Never would tho
Not with current lot in charge, I grant you.
We can both hope for the future tho, I voted for them in the last election and I really do wish they’d become the party of Wales rather them labours lap dogs.