JULIA WELCOMES REVIEW RECOMMENDATIONS INTO WATER PRICING IN CORNWALL

4.00.00pm GMT Tue 8th Dec 2009

Julia Goldsworthy MP has welcomed recommendations put forward today in a Government-backed review into water bills to tackle water affordability in the South West.

The Consumer Council for Water estimates that up to one third of South West Water customers are living in water poverty, with bills £150 above the national average. Julia has been campaigning on this issue since before her election in 2005, and has frequently called on the Government to review the system.

Today's review by Anna Walker recognises for the first time that the South West is special case on water charges, and argues that local people should receive help with their water bills. Proposals include a one-off Government cash injection, a charge to all water rate payers nationally or an additional summer usage charge. These options will now be put before the Government and the industry regulator, Ofwat.

Commenting, Julia Goldsworthy said: "I am pleased that after years of campaigning, it has finally been recognised that Cornwall gets an unfair deal on water charges.

"When the water industry was privatised by the Conservatives in the 1980s, no thought was given to how it would unfairly affect people in the South West, who have to maintain a third of the nation's coastline. Now the Government have a package of recommendations from Anna Walker that will go towards helping hard-pressed people in Cornwall meet their water bills.

"Tomorrow I will be joining a group of South West MPs to meet the Minister to discuss these proposals, and very much hope we can come up with a positive solution for Cornwall that can be implemented quickly.

Julia said that it was thanks to local campaigning that the issue of unfair water charges had not been kicked into the long grass.

She said: "The issue has not gone away because the cost of water has remained a major problem for so many people since the utility was privatised in the 80s. This is why the campaign has been sustained for such a long period of time and why such a strong case was made to Anna Walker."