§ Mr. Hunterasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the Monopolies and Mergers Commission report on water procurement and supply in the Southern water authority area will be published; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HowardThe report is published today and I have placed a full summary in the Library of the House.
The Monopolies and Mergers Commission was asked to investigate the efficiency and costs and standard of service provided by the Southern water authority the Eastbourne waterworks company, the Folkestone and District water company, the Mid-Kent water company, the Mid-Sussex water company, the Portsmouth water company and the West Kent water company in supplying water. The report concludes that the overall quality of service provided by SWA and the companies is good; there is room for improvement in management and organisation and some recommendations to that end have already been or are being implemented, particularly by SWA. The SWA is on the whole effectively managed and compares satisfactorily with the general run of public sector bodies which the commission have examined.
The report indentifies 41 important conclusions and recommendations.
As is usual for such references, the commission was asked to consider whether SWA or any of the water companies is pursuing a course of conduct which operates 417W against the public interest. The commission reports that it found no course of conduct which operates or might be expected to operate against the public interest.
SWA and the companies will be producing written responses to the commission's findings and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment will report on those statements at the appropriate time.