Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs··ReleaseWater
Government to scrap ownership caps on water company shares
Defra confirmed the strengthened Water Bill will remove statutory caps that limit government stakes in water and sewerage companies to between 1 and 3 percent, in place since the Water Act 1989. The change lets government acquire shares where the public interest requires it, alongside new powers for mayors and strategic authorities over company priorities. Scope and timing sit with the forthcoming 10-year plan for Britain.
Our readRemoving the ownership cap is a lever, not a plan: the real test is whether the 10-year plan turns it into an actual stake in a named company.
Read the announcement at Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs →
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