HC Deb 08 December 1988 vol 143 cc281-2W
Mr. Allen McKay

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether Government funding will be made available to meet the costs of the installation and provision of water meters in domestic property in full or in part.

Mr. Moynihan

[holding answer 6 December 1988]: Whether to adopt metering for domestic water customers after privatisation will be a matter for each water undertaker to decide. Apart from the limited contributions to the present programme of metering trials, there will be no Government funding of the costs of metering.

Mr. Allen McKay

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether customers will be expected to pay the costs of the provision and installation of water meters in domestic households following water industry privatisation.

Mr. Moynihan

[holding answer 6 December 1988]: The Public Utility Transfers and Water Charges Act requires the cost of installing meters compulsorily to be met by the water undertaker. The cost is therefore recovered from customers as a whole, with two exceptions. Customers who opt under the present voluntary scheme to pay by measure will be expected to pay for a meter and its installation. After 1 April 1989, water undertakers will be able to require the developers of newly built or converted domestic properties to pay for, or install, a meter as a condition of connecting a supply.

Mr. Allen McKay

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what will be the position with regard to the inspection provisions of water metering and weights and measures legislation following the installation of water meters in domestic property.

Mr. Moynihan

[holding answer 6 December 1988]: Regulations made under the Public Utility Transfers and Water Charges Act 1988 enable householders, on the payment of a fee, to ask their water undertaker to test the accuracy of the meter. The fee will be returned if the meter is found to be inaccurate. The test would be carried out in accordance with weights and measures regulations. Alternatively, householders can ask for a test by a local authority weights and measures inspector.