§ Mr. Wrigglesworthasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table showing the increase in domestic water rates in real and percentage terms for each water authority in England in each of the past five years and for 1984–85.
§ Mr. Waldegrave[pursuant to his reply, 13 March 1984, c. 96]: The following tables give details of the increase in unmeasured water services charges to households in percentage and real terms for the period 1979–80 to 1983–84. The charges refer to the cost of water, sewerage and environmental services. Where standing charges are levied these have been converted to a rate poundage. Detailed information in the same format for 1984–85 is not yet available but the last column of table A shows the estimated increase in the level for average household bills for that year.
259W
Water Authority 1979–80 per cent. 1980–81 per cent. 1981–82 per cent. 1982–83 per cent. 1983–84 per cent. 1984–85 per cent. Yorkshire 7.2 23.6 16.7 14.3 4.5 4.8 Anglian 8.4 26.1 18.3 12.4 5.3 7.0 Thames 10.0 23.3 11.6 13.7 9.8 7.6 Southern 3.8 29.2 18.4 11.0 1.8 5.0 Wessex 10.8 14.5 12.3 7.3 3.4 4.2 South West 11.6 17.6 12.1 7.6 5.4 5.8
Table B Percentage increase in Real terms (ie. Annual Charges deflated by RPI) per cent. per cent. per cent. per cent. per cent. North West (2.3) (0.4) 5.7 (0.5) 1.5 Northumbrian (9.1) 2.1 5.2 2.6 7.4 Severn-Trent 3.6 (2.8) 2.2 (1.5) 1.1 Yorkshire (2.6) 1.6 4.1 4.4 0.5 Anglian (1.5) 3.6 5.6 2.7 1.3 Thames (0.1) 1.3 (0.4) 3.9 5.5 Southern (5.7) 6.1 5.6 1.5 (2.1) Wessex 0.6 (6.0) 0.2 (1.9) (0.6) South West 1.4 (3.4) Nil (1.6) 1.3 Sources: Water Authorities Charging Returns