§ Mr. WigleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what has been the amount of capital expenditure by the water industry for improving the environment over the past five years; and what his estimate is of the anticipated expenditure on such schemes, by the industry, over the next five years. [103101]
§ Mr. Meacher[holding answer 20 December 1999]: The Director General of Water Services has published the capital expenditure of the water industry on quality enhancement for the five years from 1 April 1994 to 31 March 1999 in "1998–1999 Report on financial performance and expenditure of the water companies in England and Wales". Gross capital investment by the water industry on quality enhancement in this period was £6,691 million (in May 1999 prices).
On 25 November 1999 the Director published "Final determinations: Future water and sewerage charges 2000–2005". This document sets out the provisions within price limits for expenditure to improve the environment in the five years beginning 1 April 2000. This includes provision for capital enhancement expenditure and capital maintenance expenditure of £8.5 billion to improve drinking water quality and reach higher environmental standards. £7.45 billion of this is capital enhancement 160W expenditure. £1.03 billion is capital maintenance expenditure which will allow the companies to meet water quality and environmental obligations. The Director is writing to the hon. Member with fuller information on the figures he requests.
§ Mr. BennettTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the leakage rates for each water company in England; and what steps are being taken to reduce these levels. [104291]
§ Mr. MeacherThe Director General of Water Services published the leakage rates for the water undertakers in England in 1998–99 in the "1998–99 Report on leakage and water efficiency" in December. These rates, in megalitres per day and as a percentage of distribution input, were as follows:
Megalitres per day Percentage Anglian 201 18.1 Bournemouth and West Hampshire 25.7 16.7 Bristol 56.4 18.7 Cambridge 13.1 18.5 Essex and Suffolk 76.4 15.9 Folkestone and Dover 8.7 17.8 Hartlepool 4.7 13.9 Mid Kent 30.1 19.0 North Surrey 22.3 17.3 North West 510 25.8 Northumbrian 171 22.0 Portsmouth 30.5 17.6 Severn Trent 344 18.4 South East 198.9 123.7 South Staffordshire 77.1 22.3 South West 92 21.1 Southern 95 16.1 Sutton and East Surrey 24.9 16.4 Tendring Hundred 5.5 18.5 Thames 770 31.1 Three Valleys 135.0 19.8 Wessex 100 25.9 York 9.0 19.5 Yorkshire 333 26.9 1Following inquiries by Ofwat, South East Water was asked to resubmit its water balance for 1997–98 and 1998–99. However, the company failed to supply a robust data set in time for inclusion in the report. The figure given here is for 1996–97 and is taken from the 1996–97 report on leakage and water efficiency. The Director General of Water Services sets annual mandatory leakage targets for each water undertaker. The latest targets for 2000–01 were also published in the report. These targets represent a 31 per cent. reduction in leakage in England since April 1997. Over the next year, my Department, Ofwat and the Environment Agency will conduct a joint study into the scope for future leakage reduction.