The prospective new chair of the government’s independent water regulator, OFWAT, is to be quizzed by a cross-party committee of MPs.
Iain Coucher is to appear before the House of Commons’ Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee for a pre-appointment hearing at 9.45am tomorrow in Committee Room 18.
The former Chief Executive of Network Rail and, subsequently, Chief Executive of the Atomic Weapons Establishment, has been named by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as the government’s preferred candidate for the role.
Parliamentary Select Committees hold pre-appointment hearings as part of their scrutiny function. A pre-appointment hearing is not a final interview for the candidate but a check on the Secretary of State to make sure they are not appointing someone who is unsuitable.
A committee can support an appointment without reservation, support it with reservations or conditions, or – in rare cases – oppose it. A committee’s recommendations are not binding on the government, but the Secretary of State is expected to consider them.
OFWAT is a non-ministerial government department responsible for the economic regulation of the privatised water and sewage industry in England and Wales. As part of that economic regulation, one of its key roles is to set the price paid by consumers.
Dr Neil Hudson, MP for Penrith and The Border and Member of the EFRA Committee said: “Our cross-party EFRA Select Committee comprising of Conservative, Labour and SNP MPs this week will be holding an important pre-appointment hearing with the prospective new Chair of OFWAT.
“This is a very important appointment especially as we are all looking to hold water companies to account for the quality of our water and to put a stop to sewage outflows into our waterways. Our committee will be looking to see that OFWAT regulates this sector in the public interest and that our precious environment is protected.”
The question-and-answer session with Iain Coucher will be available to watch on the day at parliamentlive.tv
