§ Mrs. Helen JacksonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will state by region the number of water disconnections for non-payment in 1991–92 and 1990–91(a) for domestic properties and (b) for commercial properties.
§ Mr. MacleanWater companies are obliged to report disconnections every six months to OFWAT's customer service committees. This information is collated and published by the Director General of Water Services in a press release twice a year. The following table contains the Director General's information on disconnection of domestic customers and non-domestic disconnections in the form requested.
(a) Disconnections by area (domestic) Region 1991–92 1990–91 Central 4,797 462 Eastern 1,889 971 North West 2,074 889 Northumbria 1,009 662 South West 381 210 Southern 3,064 429 Thames 2,084 966 Wales 2,951 1,305 Wessex 492 194 Yorkshire 2,545 1,585 Source: OFWAT News Release PN15/92.
(b) Disconnections by area (non domestic) Region 1991–92 1990–91 Central 870 409 Eastern 145 149 North West 177 129 Northumbria 228 249 South West 11 9 Southern 386 191 Thames 264 160 Wales 84 92 Wessex 9 20 Yorkshire 217 143 All areas 2,391 1,551 Source: OFWAT 26 October 1992.
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§ Mrs. Helen JacksonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce proposals to ensure that public authorities are notified of any domestic water disconnections on grounds of health and safety.
§ Mr. MacleanSection 63 of the Water Industry Act 1991 already requires a water undertaker who disconnects, or otherwise cuts off, a supply of water to any inhabited house and does so without restoring the supply to that house within 24 hours, to serve notice informing the local authority in whose area the house is situated no later than 48 hours after the supply is cut off.