Water Bills

Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville Excerpts

Thursday 9th January 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)]

My noble friend makes some extremely important points. Citizens Advice does an important service in supporting vulnerable people. Water companies should work with all charities, such as Citizens Advice, in order to support vulnerable consumers. It is important that we simplify the processes so that customers who need extra assistance can get it. Citizens Advice is an important part of that and helps customers get advice on benefits and managing debt, particularly customers who have not been in financial difficulty before. My noble friend makes some very good points.

[Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville (LD)]

My Lords, the expected rise in water bills to ensure future investment in infrastructure, so deliberately disregarded in the past by water companies, will fall heavily upon small businesses that use water and farmers, for whom water is essential for rearing livestock and growing crops. Is the Minister talking to her Treasury colleagues about how to help this vital element of our economy with this burden, which will affect small businesses’ and farmers’ profitability?

[Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)]

I assure the noble Baroness that Defra is regularly in contact with the Treasury about all issues such as this, particularly about how to support people going forward. Many of the challenges farmers in particular face—my colleague is at the Oxford Farming Conference today talking to farmers—are to do with long-term security and the ability to bring in long-term investment. Water affordability is an important part of that.