Parliamentary Monitoring Services

As a regulator it is important that we are aware of the developments that impact on our activities and on the water and wastewater industry. The information received from a political monitoring service will help us to oversee political activities and make us aware of legislation, policies and initiatives that may affect the water industry and our business in general.

The appointed Contractor will provide a Parliamentary and Welsh Assembly monitoring service in England and Wales. This will enable the Customer to be kept informed about matters that could impact on, or inform, the Customer's business activities.

We are accountable to Parliament and the National Assembly for Wales and as such appear before select committees and also provide evidence for parliamentary inquiries.

We are regularly requested by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Welsh Government to contribute to parliamentary and assembly questions and provide detail to inform incoming debates.

Parliamentary monitoring information is therefore invaluable for advance warning of parliamentary and assembly questions, relevant press notices from other organisations, details of early day motions information about legislation going through Parliament and the Welsh Assembly and detail of any relevant debates.

Scope

The contract duration is for 3 years from the order commencement date estimated to be, 1 April 2018.

The Contractor is required to:

• a)Monitor and report back on Parliamentary and Assembly matters that will affect the Customer or the water and sewerage industry.

• b)Keep under review proposals for legislation, to identify and bring to the attention of the Customer any developments, which may have a significant impact on the water and sewerage industry.

• (c)Supply the Customer with any relevant information on a daily basis in accordance with the monitoring brief (attached at Appendix G of the ITT).

• (d)Provide the Customer access to an electronic archive database which is a repository of all information/documents sent to the Customer.

• (e)Provide the Customer with research hours each month, the costs of which have already been covered by the contract, in order to undertake tasks as directed by the Customer.

Geographic Coverage

Mainly England and Wales (including the Welsh Assembly and London Assembly) but also interested in high level water and sewerage issues in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

For the avoidance of doubt - we will not require a full monitoring service for Scotland or Northern Ireland as our scope of regulation does not extend to those devolved nations. However, it is helpful to receive information on press notices that are issued and announcement of select committee inquiries. We do not require European monitoring.

Information Coverage

Relevant information will include, but not necessarily be limited to:

Westminster, Whitehall, Welsh Government and the Welsh Assembly