An MP has accused ministers of attempting to avoid scrutiny over plans for the possible collapse of Thames Water.
Liberal Democrat MP for Richmond Park Sarah Olney wrote to the Commons Procedure Committee to investigate environment ministers’ failure to answer parliamentary questions about the water firm.
Thames Water is attempting to avoid a government bailout as officials make contingency plans for its failure dubbed Project Timber.
She said: “Ministers must not only come clean regarding what meetings have been had and when, but go further and publish Project Timber in full.
“Regardless of this ongoing mess, Thames Water is no longer a functioning company and the government has a choice: either bail them out with taxpayer money or listen to Liberal Democrat calls to put them into special administration and restructure them as a Public Benefit Company.”
Olney, who has been campaigning for the Government to publish the details of Project Timber, asked three written parliamentary questions of Environment Secretary Steve Barclay scheduled for response last Friday but has yet to receive a response almost a week later.
Thames Water has reportedly been lobbying the government and regulators to let it increase bills by 40%, pay lower fines for breaches and keep paying out dividends as part of efforts to avert a taxpayer bailout.
The UK’s largest water company, which serves more than 15 million households, is facing a debt pile of £14 billion and widespread criticism over sewage dumping.
Campaigners blasted Thames Water this week for dumping human waste into the River Thames for a staggering 1,914 hours so far this year– equivalent to 79 days.
Today is the 80th day of the year.
James Wallace, CEO of River Action, said, “Nearly all our rivers have been polluted by water companies which, since privatisation over 30 years ago when all their debt was wiped, have adopted vulture-like business models.
“This has led to money from honest water bill payers ending up lining the pockets of investors with multi-billion-pound dividends and interest from debt. The water companies chose this instead of fixing their leaky pipes, investing in new sewage systems and reservoirs.”
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has been contacted for a comment.
