§ 13. Mr. MichaelTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales which of his powers under the Water Act 1989 he has exercised since taking up his office; and whether he has any plans to seek to increase those powers.
§ Mr. Nicholas BennettMy right hon. Friend has used a number of powers under the Water Act 1989, and, with permission, I have arranged for a list to be circulated in the Official Report. He has at present no plans to seek any increase in his powers under the Act.
§ Mr. MichaelDoes the Minister or, preferably, the Secretary of State remember the firm promises that were given by their predecessors on the strict regulation of the water industry in Wales following the passage of the Water Act? Will the Minister explain how any benefit can accrue to water consumers as a result of the purchase of electricity shares, which could not have been achieved without that £31 million-plus purchase? Does he have any powers to investigate that purchase to give the public the full facts of the matter?
§ Mr. BennettWelsh Water is a private commercial company. It is a matter for the shareholders of Welsh Water to decide the investments made by that company. From correspondence that he has had with the Director General of Water Services, the hon. Gentleman will be aware that there is a limit of 15 per cent. on ownership in the South Wales electricity board and that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State retains his golden share in the water industry. Also, it has been made clear to the hon. Gentleman in a letter of 4 January 1991 from the Director General of Water Services that he is content that Welsh Water is doing what is required of it and that, if there is any indication that consumers of Welsh Water will be harmed in any way, he will take action to prevent it.
§ Following is the information:
| Water Act 1989 | |
| List of powers used by the Secretary of State for Wales since taking office | |
| Section | Description |
| 3 | Payment of members of the Advisory Committee for Wales |
| 20 | Acceptance of undertakings by undertakers |
| 37 | General authorisation to the Director General to enforce the duties of water undertakers under this section |
| 60 | Appointment of technical assessors and the designation of those appointed in relation to the provisions of section 60(4) |
| 67 | General authorisation to the Director General to enforce the duties of sewerage undertakers under this section |
| 74 and 185 | Regulations related to trade effluent |
| 89 | The fixing of a target investment limit for the Government shareholding in Welsh Water plc |
| Section | Description |
| 131 | General drought order |
| 141 | Determination of the payment to be made to the Chairman of the National Rivers Authority's Welsh Region's Advisory Committee |