The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EFRA) is due to hold an evidence session to scrutinise the work of Ofwat, questioning its Chief Executive, David Black, as well as its Senior Director for Sector Performance, Helen Campbell, and Chris Walters, the Senior Director for the Price Review.
The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EFRA) is appointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and its associated public bodies.
The cross-party Committee, chaired by Alistair Carmichael (MP for Orkney and Shetland, Liberal Democrat), is likely to ask a broad range of questions about the financial stability of the water sector, including the current situation at Thames Water, the performance of water companies and the regulation of the industry.
The session will also see Ofwat questioned about the upcoming reforms of the water sector, including the Water (Special Measures) Bill and the Independent Commission into the water sector.
Ofwat will also face questions on the 2024 Price Review (PR24), which will set consumers’ bill prices for 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2030 and future investment levels in water infrastructure. MPs are likely to ask how the regulator is balancing the need for investment against the need to protect consumers, ahead of Ofwat’s final determination of PR24 in December.
The evidence session is due to take place on Tuesday 26 November, at 10.00am, and can be viewed here.
