Ownership and regulation of water

That this House believes that the ownership and regulation of water across the UK needs a fundamental reset following the disaster of privatisation and the failures following from regulatory capture; calls for the whole sector to be brought under public ownership with effective regulation established; further believes such action is vital for public health, the environment, resilience of communities, and the cost of living; notes the Independent Water Commission (IWC) proposes to merge current OFWAT functions with those of the Drinking Water Inspectorate together with the water regulation functions of the Environment Agency and Natural England; further notes that the Welsh Government proposes to create a new economic regulator; also believes more clarity is needed on how the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) will relate to this new body; is very concerned to learn that staff have been left in limbo, without clear communication on what the findings mean for their jobs, terms and conditions, and their futures; is further concerned that without assurances on these matters, the Government risks creating a staffing crisis in regulators that will still have a vital role to play in protecting customers; further calls on both the UK and Welsh Governments to provide clarity on staff terms and conditions, including civil service status, job security, wider working conditions, including office locations and working arrangements; and also calls on both Governments to enter into meaningful engagement with Trade Unions to resolve these issues, giving reassurances to staff affected.