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Churches: Water Charges

Volume 494: debated on Tuesday 16 June 2009

To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners how many churches in each diocese have reported an increase in their water bills as a result of the new surface water charges. (279561)

Water charges are the responsibility of the Parochial Church Council of the particular church and such data are not held centrally.

However, as churches were previously exempt from water rates, in areas where surface water and highways charges have begun to be phased in, all those with connections to the public drains face increases. In many cases these will be substantial, with annual increases ranging from a few hundred pounds for a small church to several thousand pounds for large churches. If applied nationally, this would result in estimated charges of £5 million for surface water drainage and £10 million for highways drainage.