Consultation outcome

Water Industry: changing the Specified Infrastructure Projects Regulations

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government
This consultation has concluded

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Detail of outcome

We received 5 replies to this consultation.


Original consultation

Summary

Seeking views on proposed changes to the Water Industry (Specified Infrastructure Projects) (English Undertakers) Regulations 2013.

This consultation was held on another website.

This consultation ran from
to

Consultation description

We want to know what you think about proposed changes to the Specified Infrastructure Project Regulations (also known as the SIP Regulations).

The changes will affect Infrastructure Providers. These are independent companies licensed by the water regulator (Ofwat) to finance and deliver large or complex projects, like the Thames Tideway Tunnel.

The proposed amendments would allow Ofwat to include conditions in an Infrastructure Provider’s licence. This would then give Infrastructure Providers the right to ask Ofwat to refer its price control decisions to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Water and sewerage companies already have this right.

Without these changes, the only way an Infrastructure Provider could challenge Ofwat price control decisions is by seeking judicial review before the High Court. This is a time consuming and expensive process, the costs of which are ultimately met by customers.

Views on amending the SIP regulations are particularly sought from the CMA, Ofwat, the Consumer Council for Water, English water and sewerage companies, and other interested parties.

Updates to this page

Published 28 July 2014
Last updated 11 November 2014 + show all updates
  1. Summary of responses added.

  2. First published.

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