§ Mr. Edgeasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he proposes to take following the House of Lords judgment on the Daymond case.
§ Mr. Denis HowellThe House of Lords has upheld, by a majority of three to two, the High Court ruling earlier this year that the Water Act 1973 does not empower a water authority to levy a charge for sewerage and sewage disposal on properties which are not connected to the sewers. The judgment has serious and wider implications and brings into question the validity of the statutory basis for water authoriites' charges. The Government are urgently studying this problem and I will make a further statement as soon as possible.