The All Party Parliamentary Water Group (APPWG) - of which Linda Gilroy is Secretary - is today announcing a new inquiry into the future of the UK water sector and has issued a Call for Evidence.   

An inquiry panel, made up of eminent parliamentarians and chaired by former Environment Minister and Chairman of the Group, Rt Hon Elliot Morley MP, will consider the current management and governmental structures that determine the framework for action for the wider water sector, including the industry, environmental bodies and consumer protection groups. In particular, the inquiry will consider what further measures may be necessary to enable the sector to combat the range of challenges that it currently faces.  

As well as collecting written submissions, the panel will also hold three roundtable oral evidence sessions to determine the specific environmental, consumer and economic challenges confronting the sector as well as to assess the management structures in place, the role of Government, regulators and the industry and consumer protection.  

The inquiry is supported by WWF, Unison, Eaga, Water UK, Wessex Water, the Consumer Council for Water and the Society of British Water and Wastewater Industries, which represent the wide range of stakeholders that are relevant for the future of the UK water sector. The APPWG aims to make a constructive contribution to ongoing policy development in this area, producing a final report which will outline the panel’s findings and its recommendations for future action. 

The chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Water Group, Rt Hon Elliot Morley MP said: 

‘The future of the water sector effects us all and this promises to be a fascinating inquiry, which will look in detail at the big environmental, social and economic challenges that the sector faces and the structures needed to meet them.

 ‘At no other time has it been more important to fully engage in this process and I encourage all interested parties to take part in what we hope will be a valuable contribution to ongoing policy development by putting forward positive proposals to allow the entire sector to meet the difficult and serious challenges that it faces.’

 7 December 2007