Water and Sewerage Companies: Statutory Consultees

Baroness Buscombe Excerpts
Thursday 20th November 2025

(1 day, 6 hours ago)

Lords Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Watch Debate Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Baroness Taylor of Stevenage Portrait Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)
- View Speech - Hansard - - - Excerpts

We were very grateful for the work of the Independent Water Commission. As the noble Duke says, it is not my department that is working through the procedures needed to reply to the recommendations. The Government are considering the recommendations on whether water companies should be statutory consultees or subject to a requirement to notify. A water White Paper will be published before the end of this year, and I am sure that it will contain many of the issues that were the subject of those recommendations. People will be able to comment on the water White Paper in due course.

Baroness Buscombe Portrait Baroness Buscombe (Con)
- View Speech - Hansard - -

My Lords, is the Minister aware of how many pumping stations are either completely inoperable or malfunctioning?

Baroness Taylor of Stevenage Portrait Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)
- View Speech - Hansard - - - Excerpts

That too is probably a question for my Defra colleagues to answer, but I will come back to the noble Baroness with a written response.