Water (Special Measures) Bill Report Stage: New Clause 19
180Ayes
325Noes
Defeated · majority 145 · Government won143 did not vote
648 Members · Aye 180 · No 325 · DNV 143 · grey dots in centre are abstentions
Analysis
Commons
Commons
Parliament voted on 28 January 2025 on New Clause 19 to the Water (Special Measures) Bill, which would have required that any fine imposed on a water company be matched by an equivalent reduction in the bills of that company's customers. The motion was defeated by 325 votes to 180. The practical effect of the new clause would have been to prevent water companies from passing the cost of regulatory penalties, even indirectly, onto their customers. Supporters argued that without such a provision, bill payers could end up bearing the burden of their company's wrongdoing through higher charges, since a fine reduces company revenue without any guarantee that the shortfall is absorbed by shareholders rather than consumers. The vote divided almost entirely along party lines. Every Labour and Labour and Co-operative MP who voted opposed the new clause, providing the bulk of the 325 noes. The 180 ayes came from Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Plaid Cymru, the Democratic Unionist Party, Reform UK, and a handful of independents. There were no notable rebels on either side. The vote took place on the same day as a related division on New Clause 16, which would have established a Water Restoration Fund directing fines toward environmental improvement rather than the Treasury; that too was defeated by a similar margin of 322 to 181.
Voting Aye meant
Support ensuring that when water companies are fined for wrongdoing, customers' bills are reduced by an equivalent amount, protecting bill payers from bearing the cost of their company's misconduct.
Voting No meant
Oppose mandating automatic bill reductions linked to fines, preferring the Government retains flexibility over how penalty revenues are used rather than ring-fencing them for bill relief.
Each row is one party. The stacked bar gives the within-party split of Aye / No / Absent; the columns on the right give the raw counts. The whip column shows the published party position — “Free vote” means the whip was formally removed for this division.
Party
Whip
Aye / No / Abs
Aye
No
Abs
Labour Party
Whipped No
0
289
72
Conservative and Unionist Party
Whipped Aye
97
0
19
Liberal Democrats
Whipped Aye
60
0
11
Labour and Co-operative Party
Whipped No
0
31
11
Independent
—
8
2
4
Scottish National Party
—
0
0
9
Reform UK
Whipped Aye
4
0
3
Sinn Féin
—
0
0
7
Democratic Unionist Party
Whipped Aye
4
0
1
Green Party of England and Wales
Whipped No
0
3
1
Plaid Cymru
Whipped Aye
4
0
0
Social Democratic and Labour Party
—
0
0
2
Your Party
—
1
1
0
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
—
0
0
1
Restore Britain
—
0
0
1
Speaker
—
0
0
1
Traditional Unionist Voice
—
1
0
0
Ulster Unionist Party
—
1
0
0
Source · Hansard · UK Parliament Votes API · whip status from announced positions; “free vote” indicates the whip was formally removed
Government minister defending the Bill's progress, welcoming New Clause 18 on water poverty, and committing to address environmental and consumer concerns through regulation and secondary legislation.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (3,849 words) →
Opposition spokesperson supporting the Bill's intent but pressing for New Clause 16 (water restoration fund ringfencing), New Clause 17 (borrowing limits), and amendments preventing non-service-user bill increases in special administration.Conservative · Voted aye · Read full speech (2,448 words) →
Criticizing both regulation and the privatisation model, pushing for Ofwat abolition (New Clause 2), creditor liability (Amendment 9), tighter pollution targets (New Clause 25), and better monitoring tools for campaigners.Liberal Democrat · Voted aye · Read full speech (2,124 words) →
Arguing that England's privatised water model is failing and that investors and creditors, not consumers, should bear costs of company failures, while suggesting alternative public ownership models.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (884 words) →
Defending the Bill as a strong first step after Conservative inaction, praising progress on criminal charges and cost recovery, and rejecting Liberal Democrat amendments as overreach.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (831 words) →
Supporting amendments 2 and 3 to criminalise failure to report emergency overflows and prohibit discharges in aquatic sports areas.Conservative · Voted aye · Read full speech (716 words) →
Pressing the government to accept New Clause 16 on the water restoration fund, emphasizing that fines should fund environmental recovery rather than Treasury coffers.Conservative · Voted aye · Read full speech (376 words) →
Sources
Division dataUK Parliament Votes API
DebateHansard · Commons
Stance analysisAI analysis · Claude 4.x
LicenceOpen Parliament Licence v3.0