Water firm river pollution fines must be spent on rivers, MPs to say

Lib Dem Tim Farron seeks law to protect fund as Treasury tries to take control of £11m Sandra Laville Tue 28 Jan 2025 09.53 GMT

Fines from water companies that pollute rivers must be ringfenced by law to be spent on restoring water quality in rivers, MPs will urge.

The Treasury is trying to take control of £11m in fines from water companies, which was intended for small charities to restore rivers, in a move criticised by river restoration campaigners as “appalling”.

In an attempt to protect the water restoration fund, and ensure future fines collected from water companies are used to restore the river environment, the Liberal Democrat MP Tim Farron is seeking an amendment on Tuesday to the water special measures bill in parliament.