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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of water industry governance in other countries, and of best practice which could be adopted in England and Wales.

The Government is committed to the system of economic regulation. This model has delivered a range of benefits including high quality drinking water and reducing leakage by around a third.

However, public trust in the industry is currently low and we need to ensure a robust regulatory system is in place to deliver the much-needed investment to clean up our waterways and meet the additional challenges of population growth and climate change. The Water (Special Measures) Act was the first major step this Government took to deliver for customers and the environment by driving meaningful improvements in the performance and culture of the water industry.

Launched in October 2024, the Independent Water Commission is drawing upon a panel of cross-sector experts and will recommend reforms to reset our water sector regulatory system, which could include proposals for improving industry governance. The Commission will consider approaches from other countries, where varying water governance models have evolved.