He described it as a “massive missed opportunity” that neglected all the water issues important to the general public, such as bills, drought, flooding and the structure of the industry. He added that the Bill was silent on metering policy and water efficiency and had neglected to give Ofwat a much-needed primary duty on sustainability.
“I don’t see the point of having the bill,” he remarked, and referred to it as “policy-based evidence-making”.
Tompkins said the incoming legislation was full of the “arcane detail of competition” which will deliver little more than nice websites and free pens to entice customers. Remarking competition may have been pushed through because England was “embarrassed Scotland did it first”, he cautioned more seriously that the environment could suffer if new entrants focus on slashing price.
Tompkins urged the government to publish a national water strategy to address the real issues, observing: “The only people making policy are Ofwat.”