The water shortage hampering homes in the south and east of England was not taken in to proper consideration, when the government made its plans to construct new homes in these parts of the country, according to an all-party committee of Lords.

Plans to build the homes over the next twenty years will worsen water shortages, according to the Science and Technology sub-committee who said that the government had "failed to consider the water management implications of their house building plans at an early enough stage."

Chairman Lord Selborne later said there was "quite a muddle in what was then the ODPM and Defra, on the projections as to what the increased water demand would be, for example, in the Thames Gateway."

The committee said in their Water Management report: "Along with the Environment Agency, the government must ensure that the water companies plans factor in what is bound to be a significant increase in demand."