Water and Sewerage Charges

HC Deb 25 February 1976 vol 906 cc249-50W

Mr. Newton

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the proportion of water authority general services charges which will be paid in 1976–77 in respect of hereditaments not connected to public sewers, as proposed by the Water Charges Bill.

Mr. Denis Howell

Clause 2(1B) of the Water Charges Bill, as amended, allows water authorities to charge all rateable hereditaments for certain specified services. I understand that expenditure on those services represents between 2 per cent. and 5 per cent. of the general services charge, depending on the water authority involved.

Mr. Newton

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what he estimates would be the amount of water authority general services charges payable in 1976–77 in respect of hereditaments not connected to the public sewer, if they were liable to half the charges of hereditaments which are so connected.

Mr. Denis Howell

Although there are no firm or reliable figures, I estimate that the sum involved would be of the order of £30 million.

					Number of Authorities	Number of Councillors
English Non-Metropolitan Counties	…	…	…	…	39	3,128
English Metropolitan Counties	…	…	…	…	6	601
English Non-Metropolitan Districts	…	…	…	…	296	13,540
English Metropolitan Districts	…	…	…	…	36	2,514
Welsh Counties	…	…	…	…	8	578
Welsh Districts	…	…	…	…	37	1,521
London Borough Councils	…	…	…	…	32	2,171
						(includes 308 Aldermen)
Greater London Council	…	…	…	…	1	107
						(includes 15 Aldermen)
Total	…	…	…	…	455	24,160

The total electorate in 1975 for England was 33,756,674 and for Wales was 2,032,792. A detailed breakdown of these figures will be available in a booklet "Electoral Statistics 1975" to be published shortly by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys.

Mr. Newton

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how much of the refund proposed in the Water Charges Bill relates to 1974–75 and 1975–76. respectively.

Mr. Denis Howell

I understand that the water authorities estimate that about 40 per cent. of the refunds will be in respect of 1974–75 and about 60 per cent. in respect of 1975–76.