Richard Younger-Ross attacks South West water charge injustice

By PRSD, on Tuesday, October 13, 2009

No sooner does Parliament re-open than Teignbridge’s Lib Dem MP Richard Younger Ross is highlighting the issue water charges – in the South West three per cent of the population are paying to clean up 33 per cent of the nation’s bathing water.

In an Adjournment Debate late on Monday, October 12, he said: “Since 1989, when the then Conservative Government privatised the water companies and, in the view of myself, my parliamentary colleagues and most residents of the South West, created a grave injustice, which has to this day led to the south-west paying more for its water and sewerage than any other part of the country.”

The Water Charges debate not only featured Richard Younger-Ross but Linda Gilroy (Plymouth, Sutton, Labour) and Adrian Sanders Torbay, (Liberal Democrat (who said the solution was to vote Lib Dem), as well as other south west MPs.

“Why does the South West have such particular problems?” Asked Richard. “The region has 3,429 square kilometres of environmentally sensitive countryside. Some 40 per cent of its land receives special protection for its outstanding quality, compared with a figure of 23 per cent. for England overall.

“The region has 2,100 kilometres of coastline, more than any other region and 25 per cent of England’s total coast. There are 507 kilometres of heritage coast, 59 per cent. of England’s total. The region has 144 European Community designated bathing waters, 33 per cent of the total for England and Wales.

“Only some three per cent. of the population live in the south-west water areas, so, as we keep repeating, three per cent of the population are paying to clean up 33 per cent of the nation’s bathing waters. There are 22 designated shellfish waters, representing 21 per cent of England’s total, and the seas off the South West of England support half of the UK’s wildlife.”

Central to the issue was the Walker review, which looks at ‘how environmental improvements, which confer some national benefits, should be paid for’.

The upshot of the whole debate being that Linda Gilroy will lead a delegation to talk to the Prime Minister about the Walker review once its published and that all the other MPs have done a rather good job in defending their constituents, and they can talk about the findings, too, once they are published. Hurrah!

Read the full debate