Southport MP votes to allow water companies to dump raw sewage into Britain's rivers and seas

Southport's MP Damien Moore votes to allow water companies to dump raw sewage into Britain's rivers and seas.

Despite some abstentions, 265 Conservative MPs voted down the Lords amendment.

MPs are facing a backlash after voting against amending a bill to stop water companies dumping raw sewage into Britain's rivers and seas.  

Just 22 Conservatives rebelled against the Government last week by voting for an amendment to the Environment Bill which sought to place a legal duty on water companies not to pump sewage into rivers. 

Sewage pollution is a key component of what MPs have heard is a chemical cocktail of pollutants going into rivers, with raw sewage being discharged into waters more than 400,000 times last year.

The amendment, introduced in the House of Lords by the Duke of Wellington, would have also forced water companies and the Government to 'take all reasonable steps' to avoid using the combined sewer overflows, which regularly release untreated waste into rivers and seas.

Campaign groups including Surfers Against Sewage said it was crucial to ensure action to tackle sewage pollution started now.

But Environment Secretary George Eustice recommended MPs reject amendments to the bill, just days before Boris Johnson hosts world leaders at the Cop26 climate change summit in Glasgow.

One person questioned: 'What sort of person votes to allow water companies to pump raw sewage into our water?'

Another wrote: 'I just emailed me MP asking her to outline the benefits of raw sewage being dumped into our waterways.' 

A government source told MailOnline: 'Tory MPs have categorically not voted to allow water companies to dump raw sewage into our rivers and seas. The provisions in the Environment Bill will deliver progressive reductions in the harm caused by storm overflows. The Environment Bill requires us to set a target to drive progress on water quality, and we are already taking significant action to address water quality more widely. Claims to the contrary are simply wrong.'

The measure is now set to return to the Lords on Tuesday, where peers are expected to send it back to the Commons later next week - possibly on Thursday - and force another vote among MPs.