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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with Ofwat on (a) odour in tap water and (b) rising household water costs in Surrey Heath constituency; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of service provided by water companies.

This Government works closely with the regulators to hold water companies to account on poor performance and drive improvements which benefit customers and the environment.

Ofwat sets specific performance targets for companies in the five-yearly price review. Where companies fail to meet these targets, they must reimburse customers through lower water bills in the following financial year.

The Secretary of State meets with stakeholders regularly such as Ofwat to discuss a range of issues.