HC Deb 04 March 1996 vol 273 c6W
Mrs. Helen Jackson

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what research he has commissioned to establish the correlation between household income and domestic water bills based on(a) an unmeasured and (b) a measured charging basis; [18155]

(2) what research he has evaluated from the Director General of Water Services relating to information supplied by water and sewage undertakers, in respect of the correlation between household income and domestic water and sewerage bills based on (a) an unmeasured and (b) a measured charging basis. [18154]

Mr. Clappison

My Department and Ofwat jointly commissioned a report, "The Social Impact of Water Metering" from W. S. Atkins Planning and Management Consultants, which was published in August 1992. In addition, the Office of Water Services commissioned a report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies, "The Distributional Effects of Different Methods of Charging Households for Water and Sewerage Services." That report was published in August 1993. Copies of both reports are in the Library.