Water Companies: Nationalisation
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether existing legislation prevents the Government from nationalising a water company.
Answered by Emma Hardy
The Water Act 1989 and the Water (Target Investment Limit) Order 1990 limit Government shareholdings in water companies to around 3% (exact figure differs by company).
Nationalisation would need new primary legislation to require changes to water company ownership structures and compensate existing owners.
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