Sir Ian Byatt

Honorary Fellow

Sir Ian Byatt (1952, PPE) is a British economist who was the Director General of the economic regulator of the water industry in England and Wales (Ofwat) from its creation in 1989 until 2000. During this time, he oversaw the water sector within England and Wales, and established a successful regulatory regime for the only completely privatised water and waste water industry in the world.

He was also Head of Public Sector Economic Unit (1972–78) and then Deputy Chief Economic Adviser (1978–89) at Her Majesty’s Treasury under Chancellors Denis Healey, Geoffrey Howe and Nigel Lawson. He contributed to the supply side reforms of the 1980s, under Margaret Thatcher.

Sir Ian then joined Frontier Economics, a microeconomics consultancy providing advice to public and private sector clients on issues including competition policy, public policy, regulation, business strategy and behavioural economics.

Between 2005 and 2011 Sir Ian was the Chairman of the Water Industry Commission for Scotland, the economic regulator of the Scottish water industry.

He has also held a number of academic posts. A former Commonwealth Fund Fellow at Harvard (1957–58), he also held the posts of economics lecturer at the University of Durham and the London School of Economics.

He continues to write about the regulation of the water industry and the reforms now needed to continue to deliver the objectives of privatisation. He is also a member of the Public Interest Committee of RSM Audit UK where he is concerned to encourage high quality audit in the public interest.

He was knighted in the 2000 Birthday Honours.