UK Environment Secretary Steve Reed was allowed to state unchallenged on Channel Four news that publicly-owned Scottish Water is producing worse outcomes than England’s scandal-hit private firms. He said that “pollution levels in Scotland are worse than they are in England”.

It is not a true statement according to any measure.

Scottish Water - the publicly owned utility company that provides water and wastewater services in Scotland - responded to Reed’s comments. "Scottish Water is the UK's top performing water company and most trusted utility in the UK according to the Customer Service Institute,” a spokesperson said. "In addition to producing world-class drinking water, the independent regulator, Sepa, says 87% of water bodies in Scotland are either good or excellent, the highest proportion ever.”