The Water Bill

The Government announced its intention to introduce a Water Bill in the Queen’s Speech 2013. The Bill will apply to England and Wales, with a small number of provisions extending to Scotland.

The Bill will probably focus on increasing competition in the water sector. It will also aim to deliver other objectives including the better management of water supplies and more sustainable water abstraction. The Government also indicated that the Bill could be used to address the availability and affordability of flood insurance. It is not known when the Bill will be introduced, or what its exact contents will be.