3. Mr. William O'BrienTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he intends to proceed with water privatisation in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Mr. Malcolm Moss)As the then Minister of State made clear to the House in April 1993, privatisation of water and sewerage services will not be possible in the lifetime of this Parliament. The Government intend in the interim to establish the Department of the Environment's water executive as a next steps agency by April 1996.
Mr. O'BrienDoes the Minister accept that if there is one issue which brings together all the elected members of Northern Ireland, either in this House or in local government, and the peoples of Northern Ireland, it is opposition to the privatisation of water services in Northern Ireland? Does he accept that the people of Northern Ireland, who enjoy the opportunity to pay their water charges with their general rate, will oppose any 1118 changes from such a procedure? Does he also accept that many people in Northern Ireland, especially those on low incomes, benefit greatly from assistance with their water charges through the general rate refund and that to take that away from them would be a crime? Will he forget all ideas about privatisation of water services in Northern Ireland and leave them as they are so that people may continue to enjoy that service?
§ Mr. MossI reiterate what I said a moment ago. There are no proposals to privatise the water services in the lifetime of this Parliament. Ministers have already had discussions with, and received correspondence from, locally elected representatives and others, and the Government are aware of the strong feelings and concerns on the issue. Although I welcome views from interested parties, the Government believe that privatisation will bring benefits to Northern Ireland, as it has done elsewhere.
§ Mr. A. Cecil WalkerIs the Minister aware of reports that grazing animals are being allowed access to the periphery areas of reservoirs, thereby causing a risk of pollution? Will the Minister confirm that the filtration processes are working efficiently?
§ Mr. MossI am happy to confirm that filtration processes are working efficiently. The straying of animals into the water executive's area has not been brought to my attention, but if the hon. Gentleman would care to write to me, I shall look into it in detail.
§ Mr. SpellarWhy does the Minister feel it necessary to impose yet another quango on Northern Ireland, which already has 160 with which to deal? Why is he still placing uncertainty over the future of the water industry, even after the next general election? Why does he not accept that water privatisation has proved intensely unpopular in England and Wales and proposals for it are proving unpopular in Scotland?
Does the Minister also accept that water metering is encountering intense public resistance? Will he give a commitment that that will not be the way in which he tries to charge for water in Northern Ireland and that, in fact, he will stick to a system of property rating, which is far more acceptable and collectable and far better for the health of the people of Northern Ireland? Why does he not depart from dogma and bring some common sense to the issue?
§ Mr. MossOn the first part of the hon. Gentleman's question, experience has shown that agencies enable a better and much more customer-focused service to be provided. They enjoy certain financial and management freedoms which allow them to focus on achieving a more appropriate and cost-effective delivery of service.
On metering, a number of options for reform of the charging regime for water and sewerage services are being considered. Although the Department of the Environment will continue to meter non-domestic supplies, there are no plans to introduce routine metering for domestic properties in Northern Ireland.