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 17 October 2014 to Question 209943, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that contraventions of the Water Industry Act 1991 are being detected.

The Drinking Water Inspectorate, Environment Agency and Ofwat (Water Services Regulation Authority) are responsible for ensuring that contraventions of the Water Industry Act 1991 are detected. In discharging their functions they undertake inspections, check compliance, review plans and reports, investigate incidents and act upon their findings. Each organisation publishes details annually of the action they have taken.

Further to their powers within the Water Industry Act 1991 the Environment Agency and Ofwat are Prescribed Persons on The Public Interest Disclosure (Prescribed Persons) Order 2014 (SI No. 2418) with regard to whistle blowing.