47. Discussion Dinner with Rebecca Pow MP


On 28 February some twenty members of the Company met with Rebecca Pow, Minster for Environmental Quality and Resilience, and two officials from DEFRA for a most lively, productive and enjoyable dinner at the Oxford and Cambridge Club. It was a wonderful event, all part of our role of convening and participating in serious debate on water sector issues.

The event was open to all members and the turnout was excellent.  Our contingent demonstrated the unique variety of experience and skills represented by our Company from water industry players though to government, academe and finance. It ranged from new associates through to Past Masters and some of the earliest members of our Company. We provided biographies to the Minister in advance and I for one was awestruck by what we had to offer! The dinner tied in with the series of think pieces on water sector issues we are producing under the leadership of Past Master Peter Matthews and showed that this is an aspect of our Company’s mission that is worth building on.

The Minister was in excellent form and demonstrated a very detailed knowledge of her brief. (Rebecca had been due to speak at last year’s Installation Lunch but had to pull out due to Covid). She gave us an overview of her priorities and the key issues on her agenda and then invited us to launch straight into questions and discussions. This covered the full gamut of water sector issues from metering through to financing.

Rebecca ended by thanking us warmly for our inputs and encouraging us to continue to work with her officials. Past Master Peter Matthews (slepeymatthews@gmail.com) is coordinating our work and as ever any member of the Company is welcome (and indeed encouraged) to participate.

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