The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has overall responsibility for setting the policy and regulatory framework for England. In the 2023 Plan for Water, it set out the challenges of growing demand for water and the impacts of climate change. It highlighted the need to cut waste, improve water efficiency, and invest in new infrastructure to deliver clean and plentiful water.

In this report the NAO look at the effectiveness of regulatory frameworks in incentivising investment in the water sector and achieving the outcomes set for the sector and whether government and regulators are clear what outcomes the water industry needs to achieve and the investment needed; if regulation is successfully incentivising investment and meeting desired outcomes and targets; and if regulators can respond to the current investment challenges.

The National Audit Office (NAO) is the UK’s independent public spending watchdog. It supports Parliament in holding government to account and helps improve public services through its audits.

Time: 10:30 – 11:30
Date: Thursday 3 July 2025
Location: Online Via Teams
Registration: via ACT