Environment Minister Steve Reed fell victim to the elements as he discussed the ban on bonuses for water company executives.

Good Morning Britain‘s Rob Rinder cut across Environment Minster Steve Reed as he tried to discuss the new water Special Measures Act which gives the regulator more teeth to demand answers about the salary of Thames Water Chief Chris Weston. His questioning came after it was announced the government had place a ban on bounuses for executives of water companies. As Reed stood on a rain soaked beach in Portsmouth with the cameraman constantly wiping the lens Rinder interjected.

“I want to go back to basics,” he said. “You’re standing out there in the rain. You make just shy of £160,000. The Prime Minister makes about £5,000 more than you…Why could you not cap the amount that the heads of water companies make as their base salary…Do you think that Chris Weston is worth £850,000 a year… before bonuses? Or do you think Liv Garfield is worth £584,000 that’s in some instances, seven times more than you make. Why should they be paid well more than you? ”

Rob Rinder and Kate Garraway quizzed Steve Reed about the government plans for water companies (Image: ITV)

Defening the huge salaries Reed said: “You have to pay a rate that will attract the people in that you need to run the sector.”

Kate Garraway jumped on this point interrupting him. “The problem is, people think these people aren’t doing a good job. The pollution is still going on. So the argument of attracting good people…”

“That’s why I’m taking the action today,” Reed cut across her. “Banning bonuses. That’s what we said we’d do before the election. That’s what we’ve done.

“But I’ve got an independent review going into the water sector that is also looking at remuneration. So it may be that there are further steps that we can take subsequent to that. I’m due to report on my desk next month, but this was a very big step today,” he said speaking of the bonus ban

Rob Rinder cut off Steve Reed as the minister was interviewed from a rainy Portsmouth (Image: ITV)

Rinder once again cut across Reed saying: “Just to be clear…You say you’ve got to attract good people with £840,000 a year. Presumably you want the best people running the environment department.You get paid in some instances…about 10 times less. Are you not as good as they are?”

“Well, we brought in the bonuses ban today, I think that’s an important thing, but we’ve got a three stage approach to resetting this sector enforcement.

“(We’ve) got those 81 investigations underway, investment, and we’ve brought in £104 billion of private sector investosr to stop the sewage, (and) modernisation too.

“We’re resetting the rules…so the problems that led to this problem with sewage can never happen again in the future,” Reed said.