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 make an assessment of the potential impact of changes in employers' National Insurance contributions on Thames Water's (a) financial viability and (b) infrastructure investment plan.

To repair public finances and help raise the revenue required to increase funding for public services, the Government has taken the difficult decision to increase employer National Insurance. The Government has been clear that we need to take difficult decisions to deliver long-term stability and growth. Stabilising the public finances is the only way to create long-term stability in which businesses can thrive

Defra will not make any assessment of the potential impact of changes in employers' National Insurance contributions for an individual company.