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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on support for consumers with increases to water bills.

Under the Conservatives, our sewage system crumbled. They irresponsibly let water companies divert customers’ money to line the pockets of their bosses and shareholders. The public are right to be angry after they have been left to pay the price of Conservative failure.

The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues.

For too long, investment has not kept pace with the challenges of an ageing infrastructure system, a rapidly growing population and climate change. Now whilst it is never wanted, customer bills will therefore now need to rise to invest in our crumbling infrastructure and deliver cleaner waterways.

Given these challenges, in the first week of office the Secretary of State secured agreement that funding for vital infrastructure investment is ringfenced and can only be spent on upgrades benefiting customers and the environment. Where money is not spent this will be returned to customers.

Furthermore, we understand the financial pressures hardworking families are facing and are pushing the sector to ensure support is available for vulnerable customers who are struggling to pay their bills. The Government expects water companies to put robust support measures in place for customers to ensure vulnerable customers across the country are supported. Water companies therefore have more than doubled the number of customers that will receive help with their bills through social tariffs, from 4% to 9% by 2030, and the Government is working with industry to keep current support schemes under review to ensure customers are sufficiently supported.