Tim Farron MP: written questions
4 Jul 2026–16 Oct 2026 · year in progress
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Read what this MP said, asked and contributed in Parliament.
13 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Water Companies: FinanceDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 15 Sept 2026Awaiting answerUIN 29902More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, further to the Answer of 14 September 2026 to Question 27413 on water companies' finances, what the timetable is for the Government's Water White Paper commitment to consider how the r
Answer: No published answer in this record yet.
Original Parliament recordWater Companies: FinanceDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 15 Sept 2026Awaiting answerUIN 29901More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, further to the Answer of 14 September 2026 to Question 27413 on water companies' finances, what regulatory action Ofwat has taken in respect of water companies whose gearing ratio exce
Answer: No published answer in this record yet.
Original Parliament recordWater Companies: FinanceDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 15 Sept 2026Awaiting answerUIN 29900More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, further to the Answer of 14 September 2026 to Question 27413 on water companies' finances, what regulatory action Ofwat has taken in respect of water companies whose gearing ratio exce
Answer: No published answer in this record yet.
Original Parliament recordWater Companies: InsolvencyDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 27418More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025 on the (a) criteria and (b) process for placing a water company into Special Administratio
Answer: Sections 14 and 15 of the Water (Special Measures) Act introduced new powers for the Secretary of State and Welsh Ministers to modify water company licences to recover any shortfall following the provision of financial assistance to a company in special a...
Answered 17 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordWater Companies: InsolvencyDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 27417More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate her Department has made of the cost to (a) customers and (b) the public purse of placing a water company into (i) Special Administration and (ii) continued private restru
Answer: The costs of a SAR would vary significantly depending on the circumstances of the individual company, including the duration of the special administration, the company's operational and financial position, and the arrangements required to ensure continued...
Answered 17 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordWater Companies: InsolvencyDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 27416More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with Ofwat on the threshold for recommending Special Administration for a water company.
Answer: Defra works closely with Ofwat on issues of financial resilience and performance across the water sector through regular engagement.
Answered 17 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordThames Water: InsolvencyDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 27415More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the difference between grounds for special administration based on (a) insolvency and (b) performance failure in relation to Thames Water.
Answer: The statutory grounds for placing a water company into a Special Administration Regime (SAR) are set out in the Water Industry Act 1991 and apply consistently across all water companies.
Answered 17 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordWater Companies: StandardsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 27414More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether persistent sewage discharges in breach of permit conditions constitute evidence of failure by water companies for the purposes of regulatory intervention, including Special Adm
Answer: Environmental Performance Assessment and persistent sewage discharges in breach of permit conditions may each be relevant factors for the purpose of a number of different regulatory interventions by Regulators and, if needed, Government.
Answered 17 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordWater Companies: StandardsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 27413More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what level of debt-to-equity ratio and other financial resilience thresholds her Department considers indicative of a water company's failure to manage its affairs.
Answer: Ofwat issues clear guidance on efficient debt-to-equity ratios and on higher debt-to-equity ratios which are inconsistent with good financial resilience. It considers that 55% is an efficient ratio and that gearing above 70% may present a risk to long-ter...
Answered 14 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordWater Companies: Environment ProtectionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 27412More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether a company's environmental performance rating as assessed by Ofwat's Environmental Performance Assessment forms part of the criteria for determining regulatory failure.
Answer: Environmental Performance Assessment and persistent sewage discharges in breach of permit conditions may each be relevant factors for the purpose of a number of different regulatory interventions by Regulators and, if needed, Government.
Answered 17 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordWater Companies: StandardsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 27411More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what metrics her Department and Ofwat use to assess whether a water company has failed to meet its statutory obligations under the Water Industry Act 1991.
Answer: Water companies' principal statutory duties are set out in the Water Industry Act 1991. Under section 37 of the Water Industry Act 1991 a water company has the duty to ensure the supply of water within its area of appointment and to develop and maintain a...
Answered 17 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordWater Companies: StandardsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 27410More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what definition her Department uses of a failing water company for the purposes of regulatory intervention.
Answer: All regulatory intervention is considered based on the specific facts and circumstances at the time.
Answered 17 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: FinanceDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 6 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15937More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the annual farming budget is for (a) 2025–26 and (b) 2026–27; and how the spending is broken down for each year.
Answer: The Government has allocated a record £11.8 billion to sustainable farming and food production over this parliament. On 12 March 2025 we set out how we planned to spend the budget (£5 billion) across the 2024/25 and 2025/26 financial years. SchemeBudget f...
Answered 10 Jul 2026
Original Parliament record
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4 Jul 2026–16 Oct 2026. One record per UIN and tabled date; the named department is not a measure of answer quality.
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