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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the medium term viability of Thames Water.

Our current assessment is that the company remains stable. The Government will continue to work with the economic regulator of the water industry Ofwat to help support a market-led solution to the company’s issues of financial resilience and operational delivery, which is in the interests of customers and the environment. The Government has stepped up preparations and stands ready for all eventualities, including applying for a SAR if that were to become necessary.