Thames Water Debate
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Lord Sentamu
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Thames Water
Lord Sentamu Excerpts(1 month, 2 weeks ago)
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Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)
That is an interesting suggestion by the noble Baroness and one that I am happy to take back to the department.
Lord Sentamu (CB)
My Lords, if Thames Water was a school, it would already have been put under special measures. You would not wait. As the noble Lord, Lord Birt, said, the regulation by Ofwat has been woeful. Is it still involved? Is it going to wake up to the fact that under its watch Thames Water has got to where it has? Something more drastic needs to be done. I do not trust those who have been doing the regulation to continue doing it, because it has been absolutely woeful. I lived in the Thames area for nearly 27 years, so I knew a little bit of what was going on. Now that I am in Berwick-upon-Tweed, I am very grateful that our water is doing much better.
Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)
I am sure the noble and right reverend Lord will be pleased to hear that something drastic is about to happen. Ofwat is the regulator currently, which is why it is its decision as to whether to accept the proposal referred to in the Statement. But the water Bill, which we will bring to Parliament shortly, removes Ofwat and brings in a new regulator, which we are determined to make manage the water industry in a much better and more effective way.