英国劳工党政府推出"水声"消费者监管委员会，旨在加强对水务公司的问责制1。然而，活动人士对这一举措提出质疑，指责其为"内幕交易"1。根据批评者的观点，消费者委员会在与水务公司设立"行业顾问小组"制定消费者监管委员会运作方式的过程中，过度征询了水务公司的意见1。
政界和消费者倡导者表示，如果水务公司参与设定监管机制本身，消费者最终将无法获得有效救济1。消费者委员会面临压力加大，其2025-26年收到的投诉相比去年增加80%，但相应资源并未增加1。
为推进改革，政府计划推出新水务法案，涵盖用具有监督权的独立监管机构取代现有Ofwat的方案，并设立独立公正的水务监察员以增强消费者保护1。这些举措的设计参考了金融危机后对银行业的监管改革1。与此同时，首相安迪·伯纳姆面临将泰晤士水务公司纳入公共控制的政治压力1。
Britain's Labour government has established a Consumer Council for Water to strengthen accountability over water companies, but campaigners have denounced the move as an "insider deal." 1 The Consumer Council has set up an "industry advisory group" with water companies to determine how the new consumer regulatory body will operate. 1
Feargal Sharkey, a prominent campaigner, criticized the arrangement, stating: "This is a stitch-up. If water companies are involved in setting up the mechanism, consumers will get no redress." 1 The government plans to introduce a new Water Bill featuring regulatory reforms, including the establishment of an independent water ombudsman to strengthen consumer protections, and aims to replace Ofwat with a regulatory body possessing enforcement powers similar to banking regulation introduced after the financial crisis. 1
The Consumer Council received an 80% increase in complaints for 2025-26 compared to the previous year, yet its resources have not been expanded accordingly. 1 Prime Minister Andy Burnham faces mounting pressure to bring Thames Water into public ownership. 1
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