§ Mr. BarnesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to introduce legislation to equalise water charges at the lower level in areas where different water authorities overlap and one authority is obliged to act as a collecting agent on another's behalf.
§ Mr. Atkins[holding answer 14 July 1994]: Each company incurs costs in providing water and sewerage services relative to its topographic and demographic situation, and its particular investment needs. It follows that customers' water and sewerage charges should reflect the costs incurred by the company which provides the particular service.