Chris Weston, speaking on the BBC’s Big Boss Interview podcast, stated that some of the firm’s targets were beyond what they could achieve.

He said: “We have to hit a certain level of leakage, but it is so far in excess of what we are capable of doing, I think anyone would be capable of doing, however much money you invested, that it is not going to be achievable.”

Thames Water, the largest water company in the UK, has been under fire recently for its handling of sewage discharges and leaks.

Last year, it was fined a record £122.7 million by regulator Ofwat, largely for breaching sewage spill rules.

The company, serving 16 million customers in London and parts of southern England, treats 4.3 billion litres of waste daily.

Mr Weston mentioned that “99.5% of the time” the waste is treated successfully, although “sometimes something goes wrong”.

He added that while the company wants to improve on pollution, the chance of getting to zero pollution was “very, very slim”.

Ofwat responded to Mr Weston’s comments by stating: “With around a fifth of water put into supply still lost through leakage, companies must deliver on the commitments they have been funded to achieve.

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(Image: PA)

“Water company targets are intended to be ambitious and drive better outcomes for customers and the environment.”

The Environment Agency spokesperson said the agency and the public expect Thames Water to comply with the law, adding that the agency would continue to hold companies to account where performance falls short.

James Wallace, chief executive of campaign group River Action, criticised Thames Water.

He said: “Thames Water’s tactics of opacity and deflection fool no-one.

“Telling the public to save water while this wasteful profit-obsessed corporation leaks 570 million litres of treated drinking water every day is offensive.

“There is nothing ‘realistic’ about accepting sewage pollution as inevitable.”

Thames Water has been grappling with billions of pounds in debt and faces the risk of temporary nationalisation, known as a special administration regime.

Mr Weston, however, warned of the potential burden on taxpayers if this were to happen.

Instead, he backed a rescue deal proposed by the firm’s lenders.

Meanwhile, Mr Weston defended the company’s pay levels, as his pay rose by 14% to £1.163 million in the year to March, while other directors received bonuses totalling £4.1 million.

Telent has urged the UK defence sector to place greater emphasis on integrating new technologies with existing systems, an argument set out by Strategy and Development Director Barry Zielinski.

Investment in artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and other emerging technologies will not deliver a meaningful operational advantage unless those tools can work together within a wider operational framework, Zielinski said.

He argued that the operating environment is shifting quickly as adversaries adapt faster, technology cycles shorten and the line between physical and digital battlefields becomes less distinct. In that context, military success depends less on the strength of any single platform or sensor and more on the speed at which armed forces can connect information, decisions and operational effects across domains.

The comments reflect a wider debate in defence procurement and military planning, as governments and suppliers pay more attention to artificial intelligence, cyber tools, advanced sensors and space-based assets. In Zielinski’s view, these systems should be judged not in isolation but by how well they connect with networks, data systems, command structures and personnel.

Integration focus

Communications networks, operational facilities and digital systems form the foundation of modern military capability because they allow information to move securely and reliably, according to Zielinski. He said resilience and security must be built in from the start through approaches such as secure-by-design and zero-trust principles.

That view places infrastructure at the centre of defence modernisation rather than treating it as a support function. It also shifts part of the discussion away from procuring new tools and towards ensuring that existing and new assets can share data and support decisions coherently.

Artificial intelligence has become a major topic in defence because of its potential to process information and support decision-making. Zielinski said that potential depends on more basic conditions, including data quality and the resilience of the infrastructure that carries it.

If communications, trusted data and secure networks are unavailable or compromised, the value of more advanced systems is reduced, he said. In practice, that means creating decision advantage is not only about software or platforms, but also about the systems and physical assets that underpin them.

Human role

Zielinski also addressed automation, which is drawing attention across defence organisations seeking greater efficiency and a faster operational tempo. He said its main value often lies in reducing repetitive work rather than replacing people.

He cited predictive maintenance, autonomous monitoring, automated network management and logistics optimisation as examples. Those uses can free skilled personnel to focus on tasks where judgement and experience remain essential, he said.

“The most effective technologies do not replace human capability – they amplify it,” Zielinski said.

The argument comes as defence planners increasingly talk about integrated operations across land, sea, air, cyber and space. In that model, infrastructure such as communications, transport, energy and digital systems becomes more strategically important because it links the movement of people, information and resources.

Zielinski pointed to the Falkland Islands as an example of how infrastructure supports long-term readiness, citing runway infrastructure as part of maintaining strategic capability. The example illustrated how closely linked infrastructure and operational output are becoming.

From pilots to deployment

Zielinski also argued that the UK already has access to much of the technology needed for future operations. The central question, he said, is whether those technologies can be integrated and adopted quickly enough to meet operational needs.

That places emphasis on collaboration between government, industry, academia, small and medium-sized enterprises and the Armed Forces. Combining those perspectives can improve the practical design of technology and help integrate it into future capability, he said.

He set out three priorities for defence organisations: connecting networks, data, platforms, people and infrastructure; improving collaboration across the sector; and moving beyond demonstrations, pilot schemes and concepts so new systems reach operators more quickly.

The broader message is that military advantage is likely to depend on how effectively defence organisations bring together people, infrastructure, data and digital systems, rather than on who has the best single piece of equipment. “The question is not whether the technology is available. The question is whether it can be integrated quickly enough to provide the Armed Forces with a genuine operational advantage,” Zielinski said.

SOFIAH NICHOLE SALIVIO

News Editor

Alphatax has acquired TP Accurate and Intra Pricing Solutions, expanding its transfer pricing software offering.

The acquisitions add two products to the group’s tax technology portfolio. TP Accurate develops software for intra-group financing arrangements, while Intra Pricing Solutions offers TPGenie, a tool that uses automation and artificial intelligence to produce transfer pricing documentation for multinational companies and advisers.

Transfer pricing has become a growing focus for tax departments as regulators increase scrutiny of how multinational groups price transactions between related entities. Companies often manage financing analysis, documentation and compliance through separate systems, leaving tax teams with fragmented processes and greater audit exposure.

The additions broaden Alphatax’s coverage across the transfer pricing workflow. The products are intended to help customers manage compliance more efficiently, strengthen governance and reduce audit risk.

The transactions also form part of a broader platform strategy at the business, previously known as Tax Systems. Alphatax’s long-term goal is to build a single operating system for tax, bringing together compliance areas that have traditionally been managed through standalone tools.

Bruce Martin, Chief Executive Officer of Alphatax, said the deals supported that strategy.

“This is another important step in our growth strategy and reflects our continued investment in creating a more connected future for tax,” said Bruce Martin, Chief Executive Officer, Alphatax.

“Transfer pricing is one of the most complex areas of tax compliance, with increasing regulatory scrutiny and growing demands on tax teams. Bringing TP Accurate and Intra Pricing Solutions into Alphatax adds market-leading capabilities that deliver immediate value for customers while accelerating our vision of the world’s first tax operating system. We’re delighted to welcome both teams to Alphatax,” Martin added.

Product fit

The rationale for the two acquisitions lies in different parts of the transfer pricing process. One addresses financial transactions within corporate groups, including loans, guarantees and other financing arrangements that require detailed pricing analysis. The other focuses on preparing the documentation companies need to support their transfer pricing positions.

For large multinationals, those tasks have become more burdensome as tax authorities demand more detailed support for cross-border arrangements. Software providers have responded by building tools that automate calculations, standardise reporting and help companies maintain records across jurisdictions.

Intra Pricing Solutions’ management said the transaction would allow it to continue developing its software within a larger platform.

“We were looking for a partner that shares our long-term vision for innovation in transfer pricing,” said Arjen Rommens, Co-Founder & CTO, Intra Pricing Solutions.

“In Alphatax, we found exactly that. Together we can invest more, innovate faster and continue supporting our customers for many years to come,” Rommens added.

TP Accurate was founded to address pricing for intercompany financial transactions, a niche but significant part of the market. Such transactions can be difficult to assess because companies must justify the terms applied between related parties as though they had been agreed by independent entities.

Michael Vorndran, Founder of TP Accurate, said that focus would now sit within a larger organisation with a broader customer base.

“I founded TP Accurate to address a longstanding gap in transfer pricing technology: the ability to accurately price intercompany financial transactions, which run into the trillions of dollars annually,” said Michael Vorndran, Founder, TP Accurate.

“Joining Alphatax means many more companies around the world can benefit from our solution and we’re proud to be part of a team like Alphatax,” Vorndran added.

Market position

Alphatax is backed by Providence Equity Partners and sells tax and accounting software to large companies and advisory firms. It says it works with more than 42% of the FTSE 100 and 80% of the top advisory firms, while more than 30,000 tax professionals have been trained to use its software.

The group has operated for more than three decades and has sought to widen its reach across tax compliance functions as companies digitise processes once handled through spreadsheets and localised applications. More than 200,000 submissions are filed each year using its systems, according to the company.

By acquiring specialist providers rather than building every function in-house, Alphatax is following a path taken by many software groups seeking to assemble broader platforms in niche business markets. In tax technology, where rules differ by jurisdiction and compliance demands shift regularly, vendors argue that integrated tools can help companies manage risk more consistently across their operations.

The two acquisitions place greater emphasis on transfer pricing, an area that remains both technically complex and commercially important for multinational groups with cross-border financing and intercompany trading arrangements.