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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when a water company licence was last revoked; and how many water company licences have been revoked.

Ofwat as the independent regulator monitors the performance of water companies and adherence to the conditions of company licences. Ofwat cannot unilaterally revoke an undertaker's licence but is able to replace an existing undertaker in certain scenarios. For example, if the statutory grounds in section 24 of the Water Industry Act 1991 are met, special administration can also be used to transfer the company to new owners. Under the Conservatives, there has been no revocation of a water company licence.

The new Government is in the process of resetting relations with water companies.