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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 2 February 2026 to Question 107385 on Ofwat: Equality, whether Ofwat intends to amend its policy approach; and if she will ask Ofwat to use the Equality Act terminology of sex when referring to protected characteristics.

As previously stated, Ofwat's Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) strategy makes reference to "gender" largely in relation to the outcomes of, and insight from, statutory Gender Pay Gap reporting.

Ofwat has confirmed that it will amend its EDI strategy to provide further clarity on where commitments and actions relate to the protected characteristic of sex and/or gender or gender reassignment.