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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate her Department has made of the cost to (a) customers and (b) the public purse of placing a water company into (i) Special Administration and (ii) continued private restructuring.

The costs of a SAR would vary significantly depending on the circumstances of the individual company, including the duration of the special administration, the company's operational and financial position, and the arrangements required to ensure continued delivery of water and wastewater services. The costs of a private sector restructuring would likewise depend on the specific terms of any restructuring proposal and the funding commitments made by investors and creditors.