HC Deb 17 July 1973 vol 860 cc422-4

Lords Amendment: No. 50, in page 20, line 31, leave out subsections (1) and (2) and insert—

(1) It shall be the duty of a water authority to provide any public sewer to be used for domestic purposes for the drainage of premises in their area—

  1. (a) if the owners or occupiers of the premises require the authority to provide a public sewer, otherwise than for the drainage of new buildings which they propose to erect on the premises, and the conditions mentioned in subsection (2) below are satisfied; or
  2. (b) if the owners of the premises require the authority to provide a public sewer for the drainage of new buildings which they propose to erect on the premises and the conditions mentioned in subsection (3) below are satisfied; or
  3. (c) if the conditions specified in subsection (4) below are satisfied.

(2) In a case to which paragraph (a) of subsection (1) above applies, the conditions which must be satisfied are—

  1. (a) that the reckonable charges payable in respect of the premises will not be less than the qualifying amount; and
  2. (b) that the persons making the requisition agree severally with the water authority to pay the reckonable charges in respect of the premises for three years at least from the date on which the laying of the sewer is completed.

(3) In a case to which paragraph (b) of subsection (I) applies, the conditions which must be satisfied are—

  1. (a) that the sewer which the owners of the premises require the water authority to provide as a sewer communicating (in such manner and in such place as the authority consider appropriate) with a private sewer provided by the owners; and
  2. (b) that the owners undertake to meet any relevant deficit.

(4) The conditions mentioned in paragraph (c) of subsection (1) above are—

  1. (a) that the reckonable charges payable in respect of the premises will be less than the qualifying amount; and
  2. (b) that the local authority in whose area the premises are situated undertake to meet any relevant deficit.

10.45 p.m.

Mr. Graham Page

I beg to move, That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said amendment.

Clause 16 establishes procedures whereby a water authority may be required to provide public sewers for domestic purposes in a range of cases. It closely follows the present provisions in the Water Act 1945 for the requisitioning of domestic water supplies, to which water authorities will be subject.

When first introduced the clause provided power for local authorities and private persons to requisition sewerage facilities in the same way as they have power to requisition water supplies—subject to their willingness, where necessary, to make guarantee payments. It was stated at that time that the text needed further consideration and some tidying up. These amendments are offering to do that. The amendments are primarily drafting, but the result of the further consideration will comprise various re-arrangements and detailed alterations which I need not go into in detail.

This is an important provision which we felt right and proper to introduce at an earlier stage in the Bill. However, it needed careful drafting, and I think we have now got it right.

Question put and agreed to.

Subsequent Lords Amendments agreed to.

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