Water and Sewerage Services (Hansard, 5 May 1993)

§ 11. Mr. Welsh
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to announce the outcome of the consultation on the future of water and sewerage services; and if he will make a statement.

§ 14. Mr. Worthington
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to make a statement on the future of water services in Scotland.

§ Sir Hector Monro
My right hon. Friend will make an announcement on the future of water and sewerage services in Scotland in due course.

§ Mr. Welsh
Is the Minister aware of the devastation caused by the disconnection of domestic water supplies to tens of thousands of individuals and families in England and Wales? If so, why did he say in a letter to me that the Government will consider such powers in Scotland? Will 182 he give an absolute guarantee that there will he no disconnection of household water supplies and that this obscenity will never be visited on Scotland?

§ Sir Hector Monro
I am really rather surprised that the hon. Gentleman should ask a question on water when he is quoted in The Scotsman as saying: sabotage could mean everything from turning a tap off to blowing a pipe right up…when we threaten, we will deliver. I have never heard such arrogance from a Member of Parliament about civil disobedience on the issue of water supply. I made clear in an earlier answer the Government's exact position on water disconnection.

§ Mr. Worthington
Can the Minister name any people or organisations in Scotland who have written to him supporting water privatisation?

§ Sir Hector Monro
Yes, indeed, I could. If the hon. Gentleman goes to the Library he can wade through the list and see the number of people who have supported it. I accept that many more have been against privatisation, but all the Opposition Members jump to conclusions. They think that the horse called privatisation is past the post. The fact is that there are still eight or nine other runners in the starting stall. It will be up to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to decide later this summer which style we shall use to bring good quality water services to Scotland.

§ Mr. Kynoch
Does my hon. Friend agree that, rather than scaremongering with this emotive claptrap, the hon. Member for Angus, East (Mr. Welsh) should address the main issue of how to fund £5 billion of capital expenditure on water services and sewage treatment during the next 10 to 15 years? Does he agree that the most important decision to be taken is how to fund that expenditure at the least possible cost to the taxpayer?

§ Sir Hector Monro
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. I do not know why the hon. Member for Fife, Central (Mr. McLeish) cannot understand the difference between £2.5 billion and £5 billion. We have to accept that, whatever happens, water charges are steadily increasing and have increased dramatically in the past few years. It is the duty of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to provide the best service in the future and to provide the best quality water and sewerage in Scotland. That is what we will do and we shall announce how later this summer.

§ Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
Will my hon. Friend confirm to the House that, whatever option Her Majesty's Government take up for the future of Scotland's water and sewerage, it will not be the option suggested by the hon. Member for Angus, East (Mr. Welsh)—bomber Welsh—who advocated blowing up water pipes throughout Scotland?

§ Mr. Welsh
On a point of order, Madam Speaker. That is disgraceful.

§ Madam Speaker
Order. As the hon. Gentleman knows, I cannot take a point of order at this stage. I do not wish to take up time. However, we should watch the language that we use in the Chamber. Tolerant language at all times is the hallmark of good parliamentary debate. I hope that the hon. Gentleman and others will remember that.

§ Sir Hector Monro
I note what my hon. Friend has said. Anyone who looks at Library cuttings of what the hon. Member for Angus, East (Mr. Welsh) and the Scottish National party have said will know that what my hon. Friend says is true.

§ Mr. Welsh
On a point of order, Madam Speaker.

§ Madam Speaker
Order. I will take the hon. Gentleman's point of order at the end of Question Time.

§ Mr. Michael J. Martin
On two occasions here today, the Minister has mentioned that privatisation is not necessarily the solution that the Government are looking for. May I put it on record that on two Saturdays in one part of my constituency alone—Dennistoun—6,000 people put their name to a petition saying that they did not want privatisation? That included three French visitors who visited Duke street. Even they said that they did not want it. So there is no one in Dennistoun who wants privatisation.

§ Sir Hector Monro
I would much rather drink the water in Dennistoun than the water anywhere in France. But I will certainly bear in mind what the hon. Gentleman has said.