Prospect hails ‘important’ Cunliffe Review of the water sector

Prospect hails the ‘important and timely’ review of the water sector by the Independent Water Commission but adds that the specialist workforce must be given the power and investment to do their jobs properly under any new regulatory regime.

The final report of the Independent Water Commission, led by Sir Jon Cunliffe, outlines a total of 88 recommendations, including the abolition of the current regulator, Ofwat.

The report finds that “ambitious change is needed to drive a fundamental ‘reset’ of the water sector.”

Among the recommendations are greater consumer protection; stronger environmental regulation; infrastructure reforms and stricter oversight of water company ownership and governance. 

Steve Thomas, Prospect Deputy General Secretary, said of the Cunliffe Review:

“This is an important and timely review, following years of underinvestment in the water sector and its regulators.

“It is essential that the specialist workforce of the new single regulator is given the requisite power and investment to do its job effectively, whilst ensuring that environmental regulation remains robust and is not diluted.

“Recommendations around strengthening the regulator’s ability to recruit and retain the right staff through greater pay flexibility would be a welcome first step in achieving this.

“The Government must also ensure that any decisions regarding the abolition and merging of arms-length bodies in this space is done through meaningful engagement with trade unions

and the specialist workers in the sector and does not come at the expense of the vital work carried out by existing environmental regulators.”