Ofwat probes payments to water bosses after Yorkshire row

The h2o manufacture watchdog is probing payments to the bosses of a drawstring of suppliers pursuing the revelation that Yorkshire Water's offshore genitor institution had handed its main enforcement much than £1million successful antecedently undisclosed fees.

Sky News has learnt that Ofwat, which is to beryllium abolished by the authorities successful the coming years, wrote to a fig of h2o companies earlier this period to scrutinise akin remuneration arrangements to those employed by Yorkshire Water and its holding company, Kelda Holdings.

Industry sources said connected Monday that immoderate of the biggest operators successful the assemblage were among the recipients of Ofwat's letter.

Disclosure of the regulator's enquiries comes successful the aftermath of a study successful The Guardian which said that Nicola Shaw, the Yorkshire Water boss, had received payments of £660,00 from Jersey-registered Kelda successful each of the past 2 fiscal years.

A root adjacent to Ofwat insisted that its probe of akin wage arrangements had been planned anterior to the reporting of Ms Shaw's remuneration.

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"We are presently reviewing h2o companies' compliance with the performance-related wage prohibition rule.

"As portion of this assessment, we person written to respective companies to petition much accusation connected the remuneration decisions they person acceptable retired successful their yearly accounts.

"Where we find grounds that a institution has breached the rule, we person powers to nonstop companies to instrumentality remedial actions which, if not complied with, tin effect successful companies facing enforcement enactment - including fiscal penalties."

Water manufacture wage has go an progressively incendiary taxable successful caller months amid a slew of fines levied against operators crossed Britain for their nonaccomplishment to forestall leaks and large contamination incidents.

Sky News revealed earlier this period that David Black, the Ofwat main executive, would measurement down pursuing the work of a government-commissioned reappraisal calling for the assemblage to beryllium scrapped.