Defra has extended the consultation period for its draft Strategic Policy Statement for Ofwat.
Responses are now welcomed until 15 October rather than 27 September.
A number of sources have told THE WATER REPORT that they are seeking more specificity from Defra before the SPS is finalised. Meanwhile, Yorkshire Water published its response last week, which called for:
• clarity on how Ofwat should manage trade-offs between competing priorities and its duties;
• introduction of additional accountability, including a stronger and more frequent role for Parliament;
• straightforward regulatory changes which could support partnership working as the norm, rather than the exception; and
• streamlining of the regulatory process for water to increase public confidence and allow the sector to innovate.
Yorkshire Water chief executive, Liz Barber said: “The SPS comes at a critical moment for both the water industry and the country. The UK is facing significant new social, environmental, and economic challenges, many of which require action to be taken now to avoid even more severe consequences in the future…We broadly welcome the SPS but believe some changes are needed. These are not fundamental changes to the regulation of the industry, but are straightforward changes to tackle four specific areas to help companies and regulators better deliver government priorities, improve transparency and accountability and unlock the power of public-private partnerships.”
Comments