Environment Minister Richard Benyon MP has today announced two new appointments to the Board of the Consumer Council for Water. In addition to being members of CCWater’s Board they also become Chairs of CCWater’s local Committees which represent customers in their area.

Professor Bernard Crump has been appointed from 1 February 2013 and will lead the Consumer Council for Water work in Central and Eastern areas of the country.  He will be representing the interests of water customers of Anglian Water, Severn Trent Water, Cambridge Water, South Staffordshire Water and Essex and Suffolk Water.

Sir Tony Redmond has been appointed from 1 March 2013 and he will lead the work of the Consumer Council for Water in representing the interests of the customers of Thames Water, Southern Water, Sutton & East Surrey Water, South East Water, Portsmouth Water and Affinity Water.

In addition both Professor Crump and Sir Tony Redmond will play a key role on the National Board of the Consumer Council for Water for England and Wales.

Dame Yve Buckland, the National Chair of the Consumer Council for Water, today welcomed the appointments. She said:

I am delighted that Bernard Crump and Tony Redmond are joining CCWater. They both bring a wealth of knowledge and experience with them, together with passion for representing the interests of water customers in their areas. I believe they will make a significant impact for the customers they represent at a time when the industry is going through a major strategic change.

The Consumer Council for Water was set up to represent the interests of water and sewerage customers in England and Wales by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and the Welsh Government in October 2005.

Since its establishment CCWater has been dealing with over 20,000 enquiries and complaints from customers each year.  In addition it has represented the interests of customers on issues such as metering and competition and has encouraged water companies to return about £170m in compensation, in money-back or improved investment.

These appointments were made in accordance with the code laid down by the Commissioner for Public Appointments to provide an efficient and transparent appointments system in which both candidates and the public can have confidence.

The posts are for a four-year term. Neither appointee has any political affiliations.

Biographical details

Sir Tony Redmond is a Local Government Boundary Commissioner, Treasurer of Unicef UK and currently President of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA). He was, until 2010, Chairman and Chief Executive of the Commission for Local Administration in England and Local Government Ombudsman. This followed a substantial career in Local Government where Tony held the post of Chief Executive of the London Borough of Harrow as well as Finance Director roles at Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council and the Merseyside Police Authority.

Professor Bernard Crump is a qualified medical practitioner with postgraduate training and an expert in Public Health.  He has been a Director of Public Health, Chief Executive of a Strategic Health Authority, and the Chief Executive of the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement. He is currently Professor of Medical Leadership at Warwick Medical School. He has lived and worked in the Midlands for more than 25 years.