PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
CHARGING FOR WATER AND SEWERAGE (17 July 1994)

That this House believes that water is a public resource, rather than a commodity to be bought and sold by the pint; believes that the council tax offers a flexible, ready made, cheap to run, new property based system on which to base water charges following on from the present water rates; notes that in Scotland the transfer from rateable values to council tax bands has happened with no fuss or disruption; recognises that many finance officers in England and Welsh water companies are at a loss to understand why they cannot follow suit; and rejects the extension of water metering as being costly, and basically unfair on households who have the greatest needs, families with young children and the sick and elderly who have a lot of washing to do and four times as expensive as other water saving devices such as dual flush toilets, sprinkler taps, and showers in conserving water resources.

Sponsored by:
Helen Jackson (Labour)