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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of availability of independent (a) advice and (b) support to consumers who have problems with their water company.

The Government has already committed to a number of Sir Jon Cunliffe’s recommendations as set out in the Independent Water Commission’s final report.

As announced by the Environment Secretary on 21 July 2025, water customers will have more support than ever before. The Government will create a new statutory water ombudsman with the power to protect customers in disputes with their water company - a single, free service to help customers resolve complaints.

It will build on the Consumer Council for Water’s current role and bring dispute resolution processes for water in line with other sectors. These new measures will build on our reforms to more than double automatic payments to customers when water companies fail to deliver adequate standards of service, and to ensure customers are at the heart of water company purpose and regulation.