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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for water company debt equity structure, interest payments and dividends of Qfwat recommendations on company borrowing for PR19.

On 9 April, Ofwat announced a package of reforms for the water sector, which push companies to share benefits of their financial arrangements with customers, increase their financial resilience, and ensure greater transparency in dividends and executive pay.

The Government fully supports Ofwat’s reforms to the upcoming price review process to make water companies work as diligently for customers as for their shareholders.