Water (Special Measures) Bill Report Stage: Amendment 9

What happened: The House of Commons voted on Amendment 9 to the Water (Special Measures) Bill during its Report Stage on 28 January 2025. The amendment, which sought to strengthen regulatory accountability for water companies, was defeated by 321 votes to 73. The government opposed the amendment and its position prevailed comfortably.

Why it matters: The Water (Special Measures) Bill is the government's primary legislative vehicle for tightening oversight of England's privatised water industry, which has faced sustained criticism over sewage discharges, executive pay and mounting debt. Amendment 9 would have gone further than the government's own provisions in holding water companies to account. Its defeat means the Bill proceeds broadly on the government's preferred terms, without the additional regulatory measures the amendment's supporters argued were necessary to produce meaningful change for bill payers, swimmers, and river users across England and Wales.

The politics: The amendment was supported by 73 MPs drawn mainly from the Liberal Democrats (61 votes), alongside several Independents, the Democratic Unionist Party, the Greens, and smaller unionist parties. Labour and Labour and Co-operative MPs voted unanimously against, providing the 321 noes that defeated it. There were no notable Labour rebels. The Liberal Democrats have positioned themselves as the lead parliamentary voice for tougher water regulation, tabling 34 amendments at Report Stage alone. The vote reflects a recurring pattern in this Bill's passage, with the government rejecting cross-party attempts to go beyond its chosen approach while insisting that its own provisions already represent a significant step forward.