Cornish Liberal Democrat MPs renew fight for fairer water bills

15.06.2010  Cornwall’s Liberal Democrat MPs welcomed the Coalition Government’s positive responses to calls for a fair deal for local water rate payers, after a Commons debate last night.

The debate on ‘Water Bills in the South West’ was attended by local Liberal Democrat MPs Dan Rogerson (for North Cornwall) Stephen Gilbert (St Austell and Newquay) and Andrew George (St. Ives).

The MPs renewed their campaign for fairer water bills in the South-West, calling on the government and regulator Ofwat to implement the recommendations of a the independent Walker Report into water charging as soon as possible.

Prior to the debate the MPs also attended a briefing by the water regulator Ofwat and the House of Commons library on the finding of the Walker Report. Cornwall’s Liberal Democrat MPs have led the campaign for fairer water charges and lower bills for a number of years and Mr George is co-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Water Group.

“The Government is promising legislation," commented Andrew George. "The proposed national levy is still on the table. This is our best hope for fair water bills. After all we don’t expect London rate payers to pay all the costs of having the National Gallery or the national museums just because they are located there. And so it should be with national bathing waters.”

“It's time that Cornwall was treated fairly,” added Steve Gilbert MP. "For too long now, we have been paying the price for the Conservative's botched privatisation of the water industry. Together with my fellow Liberal Democrat MPs, we will be keeping the pressure on and fighting for more successes like we enjoyed last year when, following our campaign, Cornish water bills were cut for the first time in a decade."

Dan Rogerson MP said, “I’m pleased that Ofwat and the government are looking at ways of helping the most disadvantaged. However, we are continuing to make the case for all bill payers in the south west because this is an issue of fairness and affects everybody.”