Independent Water Commission

Naushabah Khan Excerpts

Monday 21st July 2025 Commons Chamber

[Steve Reed]

I agree with my hon. Friend. I understand that the Welsh Deputy First Minister has laid a statement before the Senedd today giving his comments on Sir Jon’s report.

[Naushabah Khan (Gillingham and Rainham) (Lab)]

I thank the Secretary of State for everything he is doing to transform water companies across our country. My residents in Gillingham and Rainham have suffered astronomical hikes in their bills and have been exposed to pollution and sewage dumps in our water, yet the chief executive of Southern Water thinks that he deserves a bonus of approximately £700,000 on top of his salary. Does the Secretary of State agree that that is an absolute disgrace? Will he ensure that any loophole used to bring forward those bonuses is shut down under his reforms?

[Steve Reed]

I agree with my hon. Friend that that is disgraceful. I am afraid that these problems arose because the previous Government instructed the regulators to apply only a light-touch approach to regulation, when they really needed to get an absolute grip on this failing sector. The previous Government failed to do that, but this Government will ensure that that happens.