§ Mr. Bishopasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received regarding the proposals for Her Majesty's Government to meter domestic and other water supplies; what is his current estimate of the cost of providing meters; and what effect he expects the policy of Her Majesty's Government to have on domestic water tariffs.
§ Mr. RossiThe Government have made no proposal to meter domestic water supplies. Most other supplies are already metered. The new water authorities have powers, under Sectiion 32 of the Water Act 1973, to meter domestic water supplies. We shall expect the authorities to examine very carefully the costs and benefits of metering, including the effect on domestic tariffs for water services, in the light of current studies on metering and charging policies, before they decide whether to install meters in their areas or in any particular part of their areas. It was suggested in a water organisation consultation paper issued in April 1972 that the initial cost of installing meters in all dwellings in England and Wales might be of the order of £500 million, with a recurrent annual expenditure of about £15 million, for repair and replacement. No later estimate of the36W costs of meterng thoughout the country is available.