Defra's review of Ofwat and consumer representation
08 July 2011
The headline conclusions of the review are that whilst regulation of the sector has worked well since privatisation and a major change to the regulatory landscape is not required, in order to achieve continued success Ofwat will need to "follow through" the changes it has embarked on in relation to reducing the regulatory burden and work more constructively with other stakeholders.
The review's recommendations will feed into the Water White Paper expected later this year. The White Paper will set out government's plans for reform of the current regulatory system. How Minsters respond to the recommendations in the review remains to be seen and will become clear when the White Paper is released. Welsh Ministers (responsible for policy and water companies in Wales) will also decide on how to respond to the proposals in due course. To read our more detailed briefing, click here.