HC Deb 10 March 2004 vol 418 cc1549-51W
Mrs. Calton

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the percentage change in charges to householders for water charges in the last five years, broken

Nominal average household sewerage bill(£)
1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 20000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04
Anglian 154 158 164 156 144 151 157 163
Dwr Cymru 136 146 158 166 140 147 152 155
North West 109 122 133 143 119 122 113 116
Northumbrian 113 118 126 141 110 112 96 101
Severn Trent 106 112 117 115 92 95 211 221
South West 202 213 229 237 205 203 152 159
Southern 131 141 152 162 148 153 93 95
Thames 93 98 102 104 92 95 122 127
Wessex 129 135 142 144 124 133 133 142
Yorkshire 113 115 118 123 109 112 112 117
England and Wales 117 123 131 134 116 119 121 125

align="center">Nominal average household water bill(£)
1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04
Anglian 128 126 124 116 107 110 113 116
Hartlepool 88 91 96 95
Dwr Cymru 128 135 136 134 126 123 124 122
North West 93 99 101 103 103 107 109 118
Northumbrian 96 98 102 100 88 88 88 90
Essex and Suffolk 116 120 127 129 107 112 111 113
Severn Trent 88 97 105 113 106 108 108 112
South West 127 129 125 119 109 110 115 121
Southern 94 101 105 111 91 91 90 91
Thames 88 93 99 102 95 99 104 106
Wessex 114 118 124 124 10[...] 112 113 119
Yorkshire 104 105 108 111 100 103 104 110
York 87 89 93 96 87 90 90 94
Bournemouth and West Hampshire 94 97 103 102 99 98 101 102
Bristol 100 104 108 111 101 105 106 107
Cambridge 103 106 106 98 86 87 90 94
Cholderton 126 130 151 136 130 141 153 143
Dee Valley 120 107 106 104 106
Chester 106 108 108
Wrexham 130 129 129
Folkestone and Dover 114 118 116 117 118 125 125 135
Mid Kent 131 135 141 146 117 123 127 128
Portsmouth 72 72 73 74 74 75 75 76
Mid South East 118 114 121 126
South East 156 155 158 159
Mid Southern 114 115 116 120
South Staffs 75 78 81 85 84 86 86 89
Sutton and East Surrey 136 135 139 134 112 120 121 126
Tendring Hundred 149 150 152 151 137 142 146 153
Three Valleys 107 112 117 124 106 111 112 116
North Surrey 108 112 123 126 109 111 103 110
England and Wales 101 106 112 112 103 105 107 111

down by region; and what advice has been given to water providers with respect to such charges. [157372]

Mr. Morley

Water bills and sewerage bills are set separately by each water and sewerage company and water company in England and Wales. The boundaries of these companies do not conform to the boundaries between England and Wales nor to the boundaries between English regions. It has therefore not been possible to make assessments on the basis requested.

The Director General of Water Services (Ofwat) sets upper price limits for water and sewerage companies and approves companies' yearly charges schemes for customers. The Secretary of State issues guidance to Ofwat on Government policies affecting price limits and on the approval of charges schemes.

The average household water and sewerage bills for each company in England and Wales in each financial year since 1996–97 are set out in the following two tables.

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