The Cambridgeshire Conservative MP put in charge of environmental issues is married to a senior figure at Anglian Water. Steve Barclay was appointed Environment Secretary on Monday (November 13) and is married to a senior figure at the company, which has been criticised for illegal sewage releases.

Mr Barclay's wife Karen was previously head of public affairs for the water firm, the Mirror reports. She now works as its head of regional engagement.

In 2022, Anglian Water was fined £350,000 after a Cambridgeshire sewer burst for the sixth time in recent years. There is controversy around the company's plans to develop a new sewage works on green belt land known as Honey Hill.

The company has also apologised for repeated sewage spillages across the UK, including pleading guilty to allowing 7.5million litres of untreated sewage to overflow into the North Sea. It was fined £2.7million, the largest-ever penalty imposed for environmental offences in the region.

Former Health Secretary Mr Barclay disclosed his wife's job on the most recent List of Ministers' Interests, published in April. The entry states: "The minister's spouse/partner works for Anglian Water."

Paul de Zylva of Friends of the Earth said: "Steve Barclay is picking up a brief that has been neglected throughout the majority of his party's time in office - there is a lot of lost time to make up for. Given the dire state of nature in the UK, he must start by urgently addressing the poor performances of polluting water companies and the regulator Ofwat."

A Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs spokesman said: “All Defra Ministers declare their interests in line with the Ministerial Code. There is an established regime in place for the declaration and management of interests held by ministers. This ensures that steps are taken to avoid or mitigate any potential or perceived conflicts of interest."