§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many households(a) in England and Wales and (b) in the Buckinghamshire constituency have been disconnected by (i) water companies, (ii) electricity companies and (iii) telecommunications companies in each year since 1999. [106986]
§ Mr. WilsonThe number of disconnections by electricity companies in England and Wales was:
For debt For theft Total 1999 373 3,219 3,592 2000 300 3,004 3,334 2001 375 1,959 2,334 2002 995 2,494 3,489 Note:
Disconnection data for telecommunications operators other than BT are not available, nor are the data available by regions.
The total number of BT residential disconnections in the United Kingdom were:
Number 1999 1,000,161 2000 1,060,993 2001 1,068,416 2002 1,034,390 The net disconnections were:
Number 1999 645,941 2000 705,738 2001 718,509 2002 571,112 Note:
Some households were disconnected more than once in a year.
Information on disconnections on a constituency basis is not available.
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has responsibility for the water industry. I understand that under the Water Industry Act 1999, water companies do not have the power to disconnect various categories of premises, including private dwellings.