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

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they envisage any conflicts arising between the statutory duties of Ofwat and the revised Growth Duty, which was announced alongside the Autumn Statement; and if so, which duties should be prioritised.

As an independent regulator, Ofwat are well placed to balance their own decision making on statutory duties. This will include striking the right balance between competing pressures or duties, informed by an understanding of what approach might best support sustainable growth.

There may be instances where a regulator has considered growth and reached a view that other duties or objectives may take precedence. To support this, the proposed updated guidance for the Growth Duty assists regulators in considering the importance of economic factors and how to fulfil the Growth Duty.