§ Mr. Lomasasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of the cost of water and effluent treatment by water authorities represents depreciation and debt charges in respect of capital expenditure undertaken before regional water authorities were created for each region.
§ Mr. Denis HowellFollowing are the most recent figures:
Water Authority Per Cent. North-West … 29.8 Northumbrian … 23.4 Severn-Trent … 34.5 Yorkshire … 30.3 Anglian … 42.9 Thames … 27.6 Southern … 31.6 Wessex … 33.6 South-West … 35.4 WNWDA … 30.0 England and Wales average … 32.0
§ Mr. Lomasasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a statement of capital debts taken 222W over by the regional water authorities on 1st April 1974.
§ Mr. Denis HowellThis is a matter for the water authorities themselves.
§ Mr. Lomasasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what would be the cost involved if the debt charges of regional water authorities together with depreciation charged on capital works undertaken before 1st April 1974 were transferred to central funds and thereafter paid by the Exchequer.
§ Mr. Denis HowellOn the basis of the most recent information available, the total cost to the Exchequer in the financial year 1975–76 of financing debt charges and of depreciation on capital works undertaken in England and Wales before 1st April 1974 would have been about £280 million.