To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much water was lost through leakages in each water authority area during (a) 1989 and (b) 1988.

This information is not held centrally. Information for the former water authorities on water losses, which includes water lost by leakage, was published in the prospectus "The Water Share Offers", a copy of which is available in the Library. The Office of Water Services is developing guidelines for water companies so that the data they produce will allow effective consideration and comparison of water leakages.