PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
YORKSHIRE WATER INQUIRY AND GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITY (18 March 1996)

That this House calls on the Secretary of State to explain why neither the Department of the Environment nor the Water Regulator will be participating in or giving evidence to the Public Inquiry which opened in Leeds on Monday 18th March, into Yorkshire Water's management of the water system last summer and in previous years; believes that the absence of proper evidence from two of the major players in the matter undermines the credibility of the whole inquiry; further believes that this is an attempt to absolve OFWAT and the Government from all responsibility for faults which might be uncovered by the inquiry; recognises that the Water Regulator's duties include undertaking assessments of each company's asset management plans, and monitoring leakage control; finds quite unacceptable the reason given that the Regulator is undertaking his own confidential investigation; and dem ands to know why Parliament has not been informed about this private inquiry.

Sponsored by:
Helen Jackson (Labour)