Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Water Sector Reform

Thursday 13 November 2025 · 4 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 3 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial action aims to create a single powerful water regulator to replace Ofwat and address regulatory fragmentation.
  • The Government plans to introduce automatic penalties for water companies that pollute rivers with raw sewage.
  • A White Paper is scheduled for later in the year to propose legislation ensuring better regulation of the water sector.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Sally Jameson Labour (Co-op) Doncaster Central
Energy Environment
Context

The MP highlighted the issue of bonuses being given to Yorkshire Water executives despite poor service quality. This raises concerns about the effectiveness of the current regulatory system.

Question

My constituents know the trouble the water industry is in. I have previously raised in this House the matter of bonuses of being given to Yorkshire Water executives in exchange for poor service. What will the Government do to fix the broken regulatory system so that the failures of the past do not happen again?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Emma Reynolds)

I thank my hon. Friend for her campaigning on this issue. We recognise the scale of the challenge facing our water system and are taking decisive action to reset the sector. We will create a single powerful water regulator, abolishing Ofwat and ending the fragmentation that led to the abuses of the past. As my hon. Friend refers to, we have already banned polluting water bosses from taking bonuses, which we did early in our time in government with the passing of the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025.

Answered
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Q2 Alan Strickland Lab Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor
Environment
Context

The MP highlighted the need for the government to have robust powers to penalize companies polluting water bodies, noting that the previous Conservative Government had significantly cut the Environment Agency's budget.

Question

It is crucial that the Government have the powers to crack down on polluting companies, but the Environment Agency’s budget was cut by half by the previous Conservative Government. What will this Government do to make it quicker and easier to fine the companies polluting our rivers with raw sewage?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Emma Reynolds)

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Under this Labour Government, there is nowhere to hide for polluting water companies. We have overseen record fines on water companies and are introducing automatic penalties—like speeding tickets—to ensure that those companies are held to account for every level of offence.

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Q3 Alison Bennett Lib Dem Mid Sussex
Energy Environment
Context

The MP expressed frustration over the rising water bills and restrictions despite ongoing issues like leakages and pollution. Constituents feel that they are paying more without seeing better service or infrastructure improvements.

Question

My constituents are fed up. They are fed up of paying rising bills and adhering to hosepipe bans, and of being told to be mindful of how they use their water while leaks go unfixed and water shortages remain. This autumn, people in Mid Sussex came within three weeks of standpipes being needed, despite paying more and more on their bills. Against this torrent of failure, my constituents want to know how the Government plan to create a water industry that can provide for a growing population, rather than lurching from crisis to crisis.

Answer from The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Emma Reynolds)

I share the public’s frustration with what has happened in recent years, but I reassure her that we will take decisive action. We have already passed the Water (Special Measures) Act, but we will also be issuing a White Paper later this year and will legislate to ensure that we have better regulation, a better regulator and a better water system for her constituents and those around the country.

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Q4 Edward Morello Lib Dem West Dorset
Environment
Context

The MP highlighted the issue of overloaded sewers and outdated infrastructure causing repeated sewage spills during rainstorms. The Independent Water Commission recommended pre-pipe solutions to reduce storm overflows.

Question

In West Dorlet, overloaded sewers and outdated infrastructure cause repeated sewage spills. Rainwater enters combined systems, overwhelming capacity and causing them to overflow. The Independent Water Commission recommended pre-pipe solutions to reduce storm overflows. Will the Secretary of State introduce a national rainwater management strategy and require rainwater harvesting on all new homes and renovations?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Emma Reynolds)

I thank the hon. Member for his question, and I look forward to working with him on this issue. We will look at pre-pipe solutions in the forthcoming White Paper, which I look forward to discussing with him when we publish it.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific commitment to mandatory rainwater harvesting not provided

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