Asked by: Charlie Maynard (Liberal Democrat - Witney)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with Ofwat on trends in the level of water bills.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Minister and officials speak regularly with Ofwat on a range of issues. Under the Conservatives, our sewerage system crumbled. They irresponsibly let water companies divert customers' money to line the pockets of their bosses and shareholders.
The public are right to be angry after they have been left t pay the price of Conservative failure.
This Labour Government will ringfence money earmarked for investment so it can never be diverted for bonuses and shareholder payouts. We will clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good.
Asked by: Charlie Maynard (Liberal Democrat - Witney)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have had with representatives of water and sewerage companies since July 2024.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Details of ministerial meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK. Data for the period of July to September 2024 will be published in due course.
Officials meet a variety of external stakeholders, including representatives of water and sewerage companies, and regulators; however, we do not hold this information centrally and obtaining it would be disproportionate.
Asked by: Charlie Maynard (Liberal Democrat - Witney)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have had with campaigners on water regulation since July 2024.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Details of ministerial meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK. Data for the period of July to September 2024 will be published in due course.
Officials meet a variety of external stakeholders, including representatives of water and sewerage companies, and regulators; however, we do not hold this information centrally and obtaining it would be disproportionate.
Asked by: Charlie Maynard (Liberal Democrat - Witney)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have had with representatives of Ofwat since July 2024.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Details of ministerial meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK. Data for the period of July to September 2024 will be published in due course.
Officials meet a variety of external stakeholders, including representatives of water and sewerage companies, and regulators; however, we do not hold this information centrally and obtaining it would be disproportionate.
Asked by: Charlie Maynard (Liberal Democrat - Witney)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps with Ofwat to place Thames Water in special administration.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government and Ofwat – the financial regulator for the water sector – are carefully monitoring the situation, and Ofwat continues to engage with Thames Water.
The company remains stable, and it would be inappropriate to comment in detail on hypotheticals – however it is important to provide reassurance that the Government is prepared for all scenarios across all our regulated industries – as any government should be.
Asked by: Charlie Maynard (Liberal Democrat - Witney)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether it is his policy that water companies in breach of their operating licence are able to continue to operate with no material sanction.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Ofwat, as the independent economic regulator, carries out its work in the manner it considers best meets its duties, including its duty to secure that water companies properly carry out their functions.
Where companies have failed to meet statutory or licence obligations, Ofwat is responsible for enforcing. Ofwat have the power to take action through an enforcement order or financial penalty (up to 10% of a company’s relevant annual turnover).
The ultimate enforcement tool is an application for special administration. The Secretary of State, or Ofwat with the consent of the Secretary of State can apply to the High Court for a special administration order. The High Court can only make a special administration order in certain circumstances, including where it is satisfied that:
Asked by: Charlie Maynard (Liberal Democrat - Witney)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will appoint a special administrator for Thames Water; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the decision by Moody's to downgrade Thames Water's credit rating to junk status on its licence obligations.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The company remains stable and we are closely monitoring the situation.
It would be irresponsible to comment on hypotheticals.