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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of placing the Regulators’ Alliance for Progressing Infrastructure Development on a statutory footing with powers to coordinate delivery of major water infrastructure projects across company boundaries.

We have committed to ensuring that the Regulators’ Alliance for Progressing Infrastructure Development (RAPID) continues to coordinate and assure major infrastructure delivery, supporting faster delivery and avoiding duplication before being incorporated into the new regulator.

We also support RAPID’s consultation on expanding its remit to include wastewater and other strategic projects. This aims to strengthen regulatory coordination, accelerate delivery, and enhance infrastructure resilience across regions.

Defra is also supporting the delivery of water infrastructure through the Water Delivery Taskforce, chaired by Minister Hardy to ensure that water companies deliver the infrastructure required to support economic growth and long-term resilience.

Additionally, Defra has established the Senior Sponsorship Group which brings together senior decision-makers, the Environment Agency, Natural England, Ofwat, the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA), and water companies to identify and resolve barriers to major water infrastructure projects.