Question follow-through · 57154
Water Companies: Pollution
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of Ofwat’s regulatory powers to hold water companies to account for repeated pollution incidents.
About this written question
A written question asks a government minister for information in writing. Parliament publishes the question and any answer.
- Answering body
- Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
- Tabled
- 3 Jun 2025
- Target answer date
- 5 Jun 2025
- Answer
- 10 Jun 2025 · 7 calendar days after tabling
Elapsed calendar days describe the record timeline, not whether Parliament considers an answer on time.
More questions by this MP on Environment and energy
- Rivers: Surrey · 9 Jun 2025
- Water Companies: Insolvency · 9 Jun 2025
- Rivers: South East · 19 Jun 2025
- Thames Water: Nationalisation · 19 Jun 2025
- Sewers · 23 Jun 2025
Shared topic keywords suggest a connection; they do not establish a follow-up.
Votes on this topic
- Taxation (Energy and Vehicles) Bill Committee: New Clause 5 · 1 Jul 2026
- Taxation (Energy and Vehicles) Bill Committee: New Clause 4 · 1 Jul 2026
- Taxation (Energy and Vehicles) Bill Committee: New Clause 2 · 1 Jul 2026
These Commons divisions share a topic label. The question did not necessarily lead to a vote.
Recorded timeline
3 Jun 2025
Question tabled
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of Ofwat’s regulatory powers to hold water companies to account for repeated pollution incidents.
5 Jun 2025
Target answer date
Date supplied by the official written-questions record.
10 Jun 2025
Answer published
The Government remains clear that regulators must be empowered to hold water companies to account, which is why the Water Special Measures Act delivers on our commitment to put water companies under special measures by strengthening regulation to clean up...
Official data retrieved 28 Sept 2026.
Later records
Possible follow-up questions
Strong links require the same MP, department and exact heading. Other same-department questions are shown as unreviewed candidates, not as confirmed follow-ups. No debate link is asserted unless a stable source relationship exists.
Rivers: Surrey
9 Jun 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of sewage spills on biodiversity in rivers in Surrey.
Water Companies: Insolvency
9 Jun 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with Ofwat on (a) the financial viability of water companies and (b) protections for consumers in the event of insolvency.
Rivers: South East
19 Jun 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support chalk stream restoration in (a) Hogsmill River and (b) the rest of the South East.
Thames Water: Nationalisation
19 Jun 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of nationalising Thames Water.
Sewers
23 Jun 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support local authorities in improving surface water drainage to prevent overloading of combined sewer systems.
Rivers: Environment Protection
1 Jul 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support is available to local environmental groups undertaking citizen science river testing.
Rivers: Sewage
7 Jul 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to introduce legally binding targets for the reduction of untreated sewage discharges into chalk streams.
Drinking Water: Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances
15 Jul 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the public health risks associated with PFAS contamination in drinking water; and if he will publish a list of affected catchment areas
Rivers: Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances
15 Jul 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the sources of PFAS pollution in UK rivers.
Horses: Import Controls
15 Jul 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to remove physical checks for thoroughbred horses at the border.
Horses: Import Controls
15 Jul 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress he has made on the implementation of the Border Target Operating model for thoroughbred horses.
Lead: Soil
21 Jul 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support local authorities in their efforts to identify and remove traces of toxic lead in soil.