In a letter published today, the Industry and Regulators Committee has written to the Government to raise its continued concerns over water policy and regulation.
In its letter to Rt Hon Thérèse Coffey MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Committee sets out conclusions and recommendations on a range of issues including investment and bills, financial resilience, wet wipes, future water supply, and regulatory powers.
The Committee’s letter criticises the “dismissive brevity and complacent tone” of the Government’s response to its initial report back in March this year.
The letter warns that continued under-investment in water infrastructure will have serious long-term consequences for the environment and the security of water supplies, risking the possibility of future water shortages and expresses doubt that the sector will be able to attract the investment it needs
It says that water bills are likely to increase, and expresses disappointment that the Government has not introduced a single social tariff to support those struggling to pay their bills
It also expresses dismay with the “unnecessary” delay in banning wet wipes containing plastics and concludes that Ofwat and the Environment Agency’s lack of confidence is holding back nature- and catchment-based approaches and that proposals for reducing water demand are insufficient to meet Government targets.
Lord Hollick, Chair of the Industry and Regulators Committee said:
“While the Government has begun to set out its vision for the sector, our cross-party committee has concluded unanimously that there is insufficient policy or drive to meet the Government’s targets. Sadly, the only thing that is becoming clear in the murky, polluted waters of the sewage crisis is a lack of leadership and deep-rooted complacency.
The Government must therefore provide firmer policy detail and greater guidance to regulators, who cannot be left to resolve these huge challenges by themselves. In particular, the Government must give clear guidance on the trade-off between much-needed investment and the level of customer bills. We look forward to the response from the Secretary of State, setting out how she intends to do this.”
