On 10 July 2024, Sky News reported:

“A source close to Mr Reed (Steve Reed – new Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) said: “The last Conservative government weakened regulation allowing the sewage system to crumble and illegal sewage dumping to hit record levels.
“The election of this Labour government is a reset moment for the water industry.
“In the coming weeks and months, this Government will outline its first steps to reform the water sector to attract the investment we need to upgrade our infrastructure and restore our rivers, lakes and seas to good health.”

Read the full article on the Sky News website.