Lib Dems Challenge Minister on Water Bills

1.00.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 9th Nov 2006

Devon and Cornwall's Liberal Democrat MPs have led a cross-party delegation of South West MPs in a meeting with DEFRA Minister, Ian Pearson, to talk about the high water bills in the region.

Unfortunately, the Minister gave no firm commitment as to the action that would be taken to tackle the problem. However, he did give a positive recognition that closer liaison between DEFRA, the Treasury and the region's MPs was needed for further progress to be made.

At the meeting it was confirmed that the current pilot schemes that are looking into ways of reducing water bills will continue and the results will be reported in 2007.

Commenting, Julia Goldsworthy, MP for Falmouth and Camborne, who led the delegation, said:

"The Minister appeared to understand the acute difficulties faced by people in the South West. It's clearly unfair that 3% of the country's population is expected to pay for the clean-up costs of 30% of the coastline.

"In Northern Ireland and the Scottish Highlands, the Government has already addressed similar inequities and therefore set a precedent. It can no longer ignore the situation in the South West.

"It is clear that we are now beginning to make progress. Once the results of the ongoing pilot scheme are available we will be able to take our case to the Treasury and highlight why Government intervention is urgently needed."

Adrian Sanders , MP for Torbay added:

"It is frustrating that after nearly ten years of a Labour Government, action to tackle the problem has still not been taken.

"However, it is clear that the Minister recognises that the current situation is unacceptable and his indication that he would support a further meeting with the Treasury is positive. We will maintain the pressure on the Government and continue to argue that the current situation is not only unfair, it is also unsustainable."