Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will direct water companies to factor into their long-term investment plans the upper and lower limits of population projections for 2050 made by the Office for National Statistics. [86818]

Richard Benyon MP; Minister of State: It is a statutory requirement for water companies to prepare and maintain water resources management plans, which include projections of current and future demands for water and how the companies aim to meet this demand over 25 years.

Water resources management plans take into account the most up-to-date information available on housing numbers and population forecasts. The plans present and consider both trend-based and policy-based population and household projections. They also ascertain differences and assess uncertainty in forecasts. The plans include any uncertainty associated with the forecasts in their assessment of target headroom (the buffer between supply and demand designed to cater for specified uncertainties) and an explanation of this allowance.