To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government are taking to generate competition in water services. (76633)

The Water Act 2003 introduced competition in water supply for large users. Licensed water suppliers are now able to compete with statutory water companies to supply customers with a consumption of at least 50 million litres per year. The Act provides a mechanism to alter the customer consumption threshold. A review of the threshold will take place in 2008 to consider the impact of the regime on drinking water quality, environmental protection, customer service and prices for eligible and other customers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs who is responsible for (a) setting leak reduction targets and (b) monitoring performance against those targets in the south east; and what assessment his Department has undertaken of the financial and technical tests used to monitor the performance of water companies. (76634)

Leakage targets are set and monitored by the Economic Regulator, Ofwat. They require water companies to compare the cost of reducing leakage and the value of the water saved, including any associated environmental and social costs and benefits.

In March 2003, the tripartite group of Defra, the Environment Agency and Ofwat published the report, “Future approaches to leakage target setting for water companies in England and Wales”. This sets out the best practice principles in the economic level of leakage calculation. Ofwat assesses the water companies’ economic levels of leakage analyses against these principles.

As well as analysing the companies’ economic assessments, Ofwat also monitors their annual performance in managing leakage. This is done through an annual submission to Ofwat known as the June Return. Through this return the companies provide a full reconciliation of how all treated water put into supply is used, including the volume lost to leakage.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what powers water companies have to take action against those people who are observed to be wasting water; and whether there are proposals for further such powers. (76743)

Water companies have powers under section 75 of the Water Industry Act 1991 and within the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 to take action if they consider water supplied by the company is being wasted or is likely to be wasted. There are no current proposals for further such powers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether provision has been made for transporting excess water in the North to the South and South East. (75373)

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what research his Department has undertaken into the costs of (a) a national grid for water and (b) moving water through river systems; (75357)

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent estimate he has made of the cost of establishing a national water grid. (75856)

The concept of a national water grid has been raised many times in the last 30 years and was has never been considered remotely viable. It was most recently discussed at the Secretary of State's meeting on 1 June with representatives of water companies and the water industry regulators. It was rejected by all those present on the grounds of its disproportionate and unjustifiable cost, both for the environment and for water bills, compared with the benefits such a grid could deliver. This stance was informed by a recent desk study undertaken by the Environment Agency, which will be published later this summer.

A good deal of water is already transferred within water companies’ areas of operation to give individual companies greater flexibility to meet local shortages. Longer distance links have long been established between, for example, Wales and the West Midlands and South East Lancashire, the Lake District and Lancashire, and from the Fenland watercourses to Essex.

The Environment Agency, in consultation with Ofwat, is able to propose to a water company that it enters into a bulk supply agreement with another water company, where it is necessary to secure the proper use of water resources.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the (a) maximum usable water volume and (b) actual usable volume for water in each water supply company region was in each financial year since 1997. (76453)

The Water Services Regulation Authority (publicly known as Ofwat) publish data annually on the amount of water supplied by water companies.

Maximum usable water volumes are best indicated by the distribution input (total volume of drinking water put into the supply system per day). Actual usable water volumes are best indicated by the water delivered (total volume of drinking water delivered per day). Figures for each water supply company region in each financial year since 1997-98, in megalitres per day, were reported as follows: