§ Mr. Warrenasked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to receive the survey by the National Water Council of water authorities to computing needs; and if he will publish its report before allowing water authorities to purchase new data processing equipment for direct billing of customers.
§ Mr. MarksMy right hon. Friend has already received a report from the National Water Council reviewing the current position and the future plans of the water authorities with regard to the use of computers.
It would not be appropriate to publish the report as such. My right hon. Friend has no power to give directions to water authorities about their individual computer systems; these are matters for the authorities themselves to decide and to justify. But in the light of the importance of the issues he has stressed to all authorities that their computer plans should be evolved within the framework of a computer plan for the industry as a whole, and he has asked the National Water Council to prepare such a plan, paying particular attention to the scope for sharing of facilities and for making further use of existing capacity before new commitments are entered into.