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Lord Whitty (Lab)

Speaking in the House of Lords on 23 July 2025

Debate

Independent Water Commission

Contribution

My Lords, like others, I would have preferred renationalisation, but a strengthened and unified regulator was my second choice so I welcome much of this report. However, will the next stage, the White Paper and the later legislation, envisage a situation where there is a system closer to franchising than to the total freedom of the water companies to carry on doing a disastrous job, as they have done since privatisation? My other point is that, in relation to consumers, there seems to be a bit of confusion between the role of the Consumer Council for Water, which represents consumers, and a new ombudsman, which is a quasi-judicial body resolving problems raised by consumers. Possibly the Consumer Council for Water should be run by Citizens Advice, but there should not be confusion between the two jobs.

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