Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her Department’s press release entitled Government unveils biggest overhaul to water in a generation, published on 19 January 2026, when she anticipates the new Water Ombudsman will become operational.

To rebuild consumer trust in the water sector, it is vital customers have assurance their complaints will be resolved. The Government will therefore establish an independent, impartial and accredited Ombudsman which is approved and overseen by the regulator, in line with approaches used in other sectors.

We will establish the Ombudsman at the earliest opportunity. The Government will publish a Transition Plan later this year, setting out a roadmap to guide the sector from today’s system to the future model.