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The Department of Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs has highlighted the upcoming market opening as a key priority for the newly appointed water minister.
Conservative MP Rory Stewart took up the water portfolio late last week, having joined the department in May following the Tories’ general election victory.
“As minister responsible for water, Rory Stewart will oversee a range of important work in this area including the delivery and implementation of the 2014 Water Act, which will give businesses, charities and public sector customers the freedom to switch water supplier from 2017,” a department spokesperson told Utility Week on Tuesday night.
“We have also committed to making retail exits available at the point when the market opens from April 2017,” the spokesperson added.
Stewart will be shadowed by Labour MP Barry Gardiner who told Utility Week exclusively last week that he would take up an expanded role within the opposition party. Gardiner will be taking over the role from Angela Smith, who is understood to be moving on to become farming minister.
In addition, Gardiner confirmed that he will stand for the position of head of the Labour-held Environmental Audit Committee.
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