(Alliance News) - Peers in the House of Lords late Tuesday forced a climbdown by the UK government over the dumping of raw sewage in rivers and the sea.
The House of Lords backed by 213 votes to 60, majority 153, a proposal to place a new legal duty on water companies to "take all reasonable steps" to prevent sewage discharges.
This will enable the Environment Bill to be sent back to the Commons where the government will table its own amendment.
It will put a legal duty on the utilities to "secure a progressive reduction in the adverse impacts of discharges from storm overflows".
The concession came in the face of a further defeat in the House of Lords, amid a legislative tussle over the bill, as the UK prepares to host the Cop26 global climate summit in Glasgow from October 31.
The Commons last week rejected a raft of changes made to the bill by the upper chamber, including placing a new legal duty on water companies to "take all reasonable steps" to prevent sewage discharges.
But peers were poised to again back the measure proposed by independent crossbencher the Duke of Wellington and so send it back to the elected house for MPs to think again as part of parliamentary ping-pong, where a piece of legislation moves between the two Houses until agreement can be reached.
By Nick Lester, Chief Lords Reporter
source: PA
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