Mr. Stainionasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what conclusions can be drawn from the experience in Malvern and Fylde regarding the metering of domestic water supplies; if he will extend experiments to differing areas; and what progress his Department is making with the 1973 study of the principle of charges for water services and usage economies.
§ Mr. Denis HowellMy Department is continuing to receive and analyse data on the metering of domestic water supplies in Malvern. Information on metering in Fylde is being subjected to further analysis.
As I stated in reply to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Ormskirk (Mr. Kilroy-Silk) on 9th May—[Vol. 873, c. 245.]—I shall not be easily persuaded 378W that it is right to oblige a householder to pay by meter for a water supply for ordinary domestic purposes. I understand that the Steering Group on Water Authority Economic and Financial Objectives which is studying future principles of charging for water services expects to issue a report with advice on this subject early next year.