§ Mr. BurdenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what have been the financial costs of 133W undertaking trials with compulsory water metering organised by his Department and Ofwat; what has been (a) the amount and (b) the proportion of the costs met from public funds and water charges; and what other trials with alternative water sewerage charging systems have been sponsored or supported by his Department.
§ Mr. AtkinsThe national metering trials cost £19 million. The Department of the Environment funded just under half this amount. The water companies involved funded the rest. There are no proposals to undertake trials on other alternative charging methods.
§ Mrs. Helen JacksonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his policy on the Director General of Ofwat's statement that 33 per cent. of domestic households will be metered by 2015.
§ Mr. AtkinsThe Director General's forecast assumes the continuation of metering on a selective or voluntary basis. Metering encourages customers to avoid waste and would therefore contribute to the sustainable use of water in the longer term. It encourages action to reduce leakage and excessive water abstraction. It would reduce the need to build costly and environmentally intrusive reservoirs. The Director General estimates that metering, leakage reduction and reduced demand from industry should limit demand for water in 2015 to the present level.