Question follow-through · 27413
Water Companies: Standards
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.
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
- 7 Sept 2026
- Target answer date
- 9 Sept 2026
- Answer
- 14 Sept 2026 · 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
- Water Companies: Finance · 15 Sept 2026
- Water Companies: Finance · 15 Sept 2026
- Water Companies: Finance · 15 Sept 2026
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
7 Sept 2026
Question tabled
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.
9 Sept 2026
Target answer date
Date supplied by the official written-questions record.
14 Sept 2026
Answer published
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...
Official data retrieved 1 Oct 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.
Water Companies: Finance
15 Sept 2026 · 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
Water Companies: Finance
15 Sept 2026 · 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
Water Companies: Finance
15 Sept 2026 · 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