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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the water industry in meeting its commitment to end water poverty by 2030; and whether he has plans to introduce regulatory measures to ensure this target is met.

The Government expects companies to hold themselves accountable for their commitment to end Water Poverty by 2030 and will work with the sector to ensure that appropriate measures are taken to this end.

We expect water companies to put robust support in place for vulnerable customers and keep current support schemes under review to ensure vulnerable customers are supported. These include bill discount schemes such as WaterSure and Social Tariffs as well as financial support measures to assist households to better manage their budgets and provide flexible payments including payment holidays, payment matching, benefit entitlement checks and money/debt advice referral arrangements.

The Government launched an Independent Commission in October 2024 to examine the water sector and its regulations. The Commission forms the next stage in the Government’s long-term approach to ensuring we have a robust and stable regulatory framework. The Independent Water Commission: interim report was released on 03 June 2025. Final recommendations will be published this summer and presented to both the UK and Welsh Governments. Both Governments will then respond and consult on proposals, including potential legislation.