Queen’s Speech points to new water legislation

The government is planning to bring forward new powers to force water companies to work together more closely to tackle looming shortages.

The Queen’s Speech outlines the plans as part of the environment bill – which is expected to be published tomorrow (15 October) saying this will include the introduction of measures to improve air and water quality.

According to background notes issued by No 10 Downing Street, the bill’s aims including securing “long-term, resilient water and wastewater services”.

One of the ways this would be achieved is through new “powers to direct water companies to work together to meet current and future demand”.

And one of the key benefits of the legislation, according to the briefing, is to ensure the management of “precious water resources in a changing climate”.

The National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) pushed for closer working between the regional water companies to improve inter-regional transfers of water and build reservoirs in a report last year.

The bill will also create new legally binding environmental improvement targets and create a new, “world-leading” independent regulator.

The Office for Environmental Protection, which is designed to fill the European Commission’s watchdog role, will scrutinise environmental policy and law as well as investigate complaints and take enforcement action against breaches of environmental law.

The bill will also establish a “comprehensive framework” for legally binding targets on environmental protection and increase councils’ powers to tackle emissions from burning coal and wood.

The Queen’s Speech also confirms that the government will bring forward its national infrastructure strategy this year.

Queen Elizabeth said that the strategy, due to be published “later in the autumn” according to the No 10 briefing document, will set out a “long-term vision to improve the energy infrastructure”.

One of the two key aims of the strategy, which will act as the government’s formal response to the NIC’s 2018 national infrastructure assessment, is to address the ‘critical challenges’ posed by climate change and build on the UK’s commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.