Contributions
1,962 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDThames WaterThe noble Lord is correct that how debt was leveraged was unsustainable. It has led us to a situation where companies—not just Thames Water—are saddled with a ridiculous amount of…17 Jun 2026HANSARDThames WaterThat is an interesting suggestion by the noble Baroness and one that I am happy to take back to the department.17 Jun 2026HANSARDThames WaterIt is because that is the generally understood figure. That is why we go with that figure.17 Jun 2026HANSARDThames WaterAs I said, we have the water Bill coming through. These issues are going to be put forward in a water Bill. They will be debated and discussed in a water Bill. We need to get it…17 Jun 2026HANSARDThames WaterMy Lords, I thank noble Lords for their questions on this Statement. There are quite a lot of questions, so I will do my best to cover them but, as always, if I have missed…17 Jun 2026HANSARDThames WaterI am sure the noble and right reverend Lord will be pleased to hear that something drastic is about to happen. Ofwat is the regulator currently, which is why it is its decision as…17 Jun 2026HANSARDThames WaterI absolutely agree that it is unethical to raise money to pay yourself bonuses when you have not improved the company: all you have done is get it into more and more debt, and you…17 Jun 2026HANSARDThames WaterThe Government are very keen to crack on with building new reservoirs, which are an absolutely critical part of the infrastructure we need for the future. One reason for bringing…17 Jun 2026HANSARDThames WaterWe do not want to put this on to consumers, because it just does not seem to be the right approach. The noble Lord is absolutely right that serious investment needs to take place…17 Jun 2026HANSARDThames WaterI can see where the noble Baroness is coming from. The difficulty is that if a company continues to pollute regularly and other water companies are being fined, where is the…17 Jun 2026HANSARDThames WaterOn the basis that I do not know how many pipes, what size reservoir and where it would be, it is difficult to assess a capital investment. The Government have a reservoir policy.…17 Jun 2026HANSARDDigital Waste Tracking (England) Regulations 2026That the draft Regulations laid before the House on 23 April be approved. Relevant document: 2nd Report from the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee . Considered in Grand…17 Jun 2026HANSARDThames WaterMy understanding is that that is not the assessment by Ofwat at the current time. However, the noble Lord makes some good points. I am sure that the Secretary of State and the…17 Jun 2026HANSARDThames WaterI suggest to the noble Lord that the fact that we are talking about removing Ofwat and bringing in a single, more powerful regulator in the water Bill answers his question. It is…17 Jun 2026HANSARDThames WaterThe detail of the regulator will be in the new Bill. The noble Lord has mentioned this to me a number of times. That companies have been allowed to generate debt to use the money…17 Jun 2026HANSARDThames WaterOne of the key reasons why we are in such a mess in the water industry is because the amount of debt has meant a lack of the correct investment, and that has led to so many…17 Jun 2026HANSARDThames WaterThe simple answer is that we are considering all possibilities and eventualities. We want to have everything on the table, because the most important thing is that we continue to…17 Jun 2026HANSARDThames WaterI am not in a position to comment on chumminess, because I do not know the people involved. The whole point of bringing in a new regulator is to improve things and get the right…17 Jun 2026HANSARDThames WaterI know the Abingdon area applications very well. In a previous life I worked in communications on major infrastructure, and I remember it crossing my path probably 20 years ago…17 Jun 2026HANSARDEnvironment Act 2021 TargetsThe OEP’s assessment that the right reverend Prelate refers to was made before our revised environmental improvement plan. Following the assessment, we have reset the interim…16 Jun 2026