It has been brought to my attention that a written answer given to Lord McNicol of West Kilbride contained an incorrect answer which was intended to answer a different question.

The reply to written Parliamentary Question HL632, tabled by Lord McNicol on 3 June 2026, gave the following answer intended for another question:

Water companies must submit their estimated water poverty levels as part of their Price Review 24 business plan. From these projections we expect around 1 million households to be in water poverty by 2030. The Water Servies Regulation Authority (Ofwat) will publish a Cost-of-Living Report on affordability challenges this summer.

We expect all water companies to support customers struggling to pay their bills including more than doubling the number of customers receiving social tariffs. We will continue to take action to ensure the most vulnerable are protected from rising bills. As part of this, this Government is undertaking reforms to the statutory support scheme WaterSure.

The correct answer for HL632 should have read:

This Government recognises the importance of balancing the need for investment in water infrastructure with the affordability of customers’ bills.

The impact of proposed investment on customers is considered through The Water Services Regulation Authority’s (Ofwat) price review process. As part of PR24, Ofwat scrutinised companies’ business plan, including affordability of proposals for customers, assessed expenditure requirements before setting price controls for the 2025-30 period. Ofwat has stated approved investment will support improvements to water resilience, environmental performance and customer service while requiring companies to deliver value for money.

I would like to apologise.

https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wms/?id=2026-06-23.hlws137.0