§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether it is the case that the North West Water Authority has issued "discontinuation of water supply" notices to 1,000 householders in Liverpool and, if these "discontinuations" have been carried out, what has been the supply of water to these householders.
The Earl of CaithnessI understand that in line with their normal procedure when customers fail to pay their water charges, North West Water Authority issued 778 discontinuation notices last August to council tenants in Liverpool. Most of these tenants subsequently contacted the authority and agreed to pay their arrears in full. Others agreed budget payment plans. No disconnections were made and none are planned. As with all other water undertakers, NWWA operates a code of practice on disconnections, which encourages customers to discuss with the authority any difficulties they have in paying charges.