Independent Water Commission
Debate between Lord Katz and Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
Lord Katz (Lab)
When we are delivering a once-in-a-generation reset of a system that has not been touched in, frankly, decades—in the last 14 years of the last Government—it is important that we make sure that we get the reforms right. If that means that there is a delay in publishing the White Paper, it is better to make sure that we measure twice and cut once. It is important that we provide certainty to customers, the industry, regulators and, indeed, investors in making that delay. That does not mean that we have not been doing anything. There has been constant dialogue with key stakeholders, including companies and investors, throughout the development of the White Paper. Obviously, we have also already legislated through the Water (Special Measures) Act to make sure that we a have a really strong regulatory regime. It has already seen over £4 million in bonuses to company executives banned by Ofwat in six out of the nine water companies. So, it is not as if action has not been taken.
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Lab)
My Lords, in considering the response of the Government, my noble friend the Minister mentioned the chief executive of South East Water. He will be aware of the criticism that the chief executive failed to show up for many days when the crisis hit Tunbridge Wells and that, at a recent Select Committee hearing, he gave what the Drinking Water Inspectorate politely described as misleading evidence. In the response to the review, can we be assured that, when chief executives behave in such a despicable way, they will be removed from their position?
Lord Katz (Lab)
I say to my noble friend that Defra takes this matter with the utmost seriousness. It simply cannot be the case that people are left to go days on end without an adequate water supply. As I have said, we will take every step to make sure that the chief executive and the executives in the water company are held to account on delivery. As I said in response to the previous question, we have already taken action to legislate and toughen up the regulatory framework. As a consequence, we have already seen, in six out of nine water companies, bonuses banned. We are willing to take action. I am not going to set out the exact details of the White Paper now, but it is important that water company executives realise that they are there to serve their customers, not simply to feather their nest.
Heathrow Airport Closure: Resilience and Security
Debate between Lord Katz and Lord Hunt of Kings Heath(9 months, 3 weeks ago)
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Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Lab)
My Lords, I do not take that point at all. Clearly, Heathrow had a resilience plan. One of the points of the investigations is to see how effective it is, and we are mindful of the impact the closure had on thousands of people. The noble Baroness knows that the Government believe that we need to expand Heathrow. It is a hugely important asset to the United Kingdom, but we have to make sure that any expansion is in line with our legal, environmental and climate obligations.
Lord Katz (Lab)
My Lords, on the subject of resilience, businesses and local councils, such as Ealing and Hounslow in west London, have long raised concerns about a lack of capacity and resilience frustrating their plans for growth. As I am sure my noble friend the Minister is aware, this was highlighted by the National Infrastructure Commission’s recent report on electricity distribution networks, in which it cited network constraints in west London brought about by the otherwise welcome installation of data centres—as we have already heard. Does my noble friend agree that we need to reverse the hopeless record on infrastructure investment by the previous Government and invest in a decent, future-proof grid which can cope with better growth for Heathrow and with homes and businesses in west London?
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Lab)
The noble Lord is right; this Government are having to invest huge amounts into the infrastructure, which was neglected by the party opposite for years. He is right about the National Infrastructure Commission. It produced a report in February that said that, with demand for electricity set to double by 2050, the current pace of additional investment in the country’s electrical distribution networks needs to double. We are giving that earnest consideration.