The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has appointed Dame Julia Black as Senior Adviser to the Secretary of State on Water Reform Transition, a new role created to support the transition to a single, integrated water regulator for England.
According to the published Terms of Reference, the role is fixed and time-limited for 12 months, with the possibility of an extension of a further 12 months. It is designed to bridge the period before a Chair-designate is appointed to lead the new regulator, following the introduction of the planned water reform bill.
The Senior Adviser will provide strategic leadership on the design of the new regulator and offer expert knowledge to support the transition. According to Defra, the new body will bring together the relevant water system functions from existing regulators into "one, cohesive body," with central oversight of water quality and water resources, and the ability to take a whole-system view of the economic and environmental performance of water companies for the first time.
Dame Julia Black's objectives include advising Ministers and senior officials on the development of the Transition Plan; convening engagement across regulators and industry, including in relation to Price Review 2029, risk and risk-mitigation strategies, and the transitional supervision approach undertaken by current regulators; providing guidance on regulatory structures and the shape of future legislation; and assessing existing mechanisms that support innovation in the sector. Towards the end of her tenure, she is expected to deliver a handover to support the onboarding of the future Chair-designate.
Her advice must align with the four main objectives for the new regulator set out in the Water White Paper: protecting public health and the environment; ensuring water company bills are fair and affordable; strengthening the sector's financial resilience and ability to attract long-term investment; and providing robust oversight of water companies to maintain and enhance the long-term health and resilience of their infrastructure.
Dame Julia Black is Warden of Nuffield College, Oxford, and a leading authority on regulation and public governance. Before joining Nuffield, she held senior leadership roles at the London School of Economics, including Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Strategic Director of Innovation, and has also held external positions in financial regulation.
