§ Mr. OnslowTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has made of the probable cost of installing water meters in all households in England and Wales.
§ Mr. TrippierIt would not be meaningful to make such an estimate, because within the framework of the Water Act 1989 decisions on methods of charging are a matter for individual water companies.
The cost of installing a meter in a house depends on a variety of factors. Information on the costs of different methods of installing meters in selected areas is contained in the second interim report on the national metering trials which the water industry published earlier this year A copy of the report is in the Library.