§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
What action they will require of Thames Water with regard to their distribution pipes, which are understood to be leaking some 30 per cent. of their water, before they agree to entertain a planning application for a new 10 square kilometre reservoir near Abingdon.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment (Lord Strathclyde)We have no evidence that losses of water in distribution by Thames Water Utilities Ltd are as high as 30 per cent. Measures to reduce distribution losses, together with other demand management measures, would clearly be relevant to decisions on any applications for compulsory works orders for, or other applications or appeals relating to, any proposed new reservoir that might come before the Secretary of State for the Environment. However, applications for planning permision would be properly made to the local planning authority.