“How are you holding them to account?” - Keighley & Ilkley MP in heated exchange with Ofwat CEO over its regulation of water companies
Keighley & Ilkley MP Robbie Moore has questioned water regulator Ofwat over its regulation of water companies like Yorkshire Water and Thames Water.
Executives from Ofwat, who are charged with the economic regulation of the privatised water and sewerage industry in England, faced scrutiny from MPs at the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee on Wednesday morning.
In a heated exchange, Mr Moore, who sits on the EFRA committee was questioning Ofwat CEO David Black about rising water bills for customers and Ofwat’s handling of the Thames Water debt crisis.
It comes days after Thames Water revealed it had a debt pile of around £14 billion and has faced higher interest on this debt as some of it is linked to the rate of inflation.
Mr Moore criticised the regulator over its handling of the crisis, asking _“How are you holding them [water companies] to account? And why on earth should I have any confidence in you as a regulator?”
Speaking after the Committee, Robbie Moore MP said:
“The government have made their expectations to Ofwat crystal clear in their draft Strategic Policy Statement: protect and enhance our environment, deliver a resilient water sector, serve and protect customers and use markets to deliver for customers.
If Ofwat are failing to meet these priorities, they should also be held to account - just like the water companies they are charged with regulating. Cleaning up our river systems is vitally important, and that requires sound management of our water companies. As your MP, I will not shy aware from holding the regulators as well as the water companies to account.”