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Flood and Water Management Bill

I would like to start by echoing the remarks of the Minister and the hon. Member for Vale of York (Miss McIntosh) about the positive atmosphere that prevailed in Committee. I share their desire to ensure that that positive and co-operative attitude continues. New clause 22 is certainly a positive place to start and is broadly based on the ideas behind our new clause 1 in Committee. We have been pleased to add our names to new clause 22 from the Liberal Democrat Benches, in that it seeks to do what we intended with our new clause. At a time of recession, when variable energy prices, potentially rising council tax bills and other things are hitting some of the most vulnerable and poorest citizens in our communities, it is only right that we should pay attention to their needs. We should also pay heed to the fact that the impact assessment on the adoption of private drains has suggested that water bills will have to rise. The Walker review highlighted the issue of metering and the disproportionate impact that it could have on some of our poorest citizens, who are the poorest water customers. It is therefore urgent that the matter be put beyond doubt, because it is possible that the numbers in so-called water poverty will rise. Water companies have struggled to introduce social tariffs, and that includes even Dwr Cymru and Thames Water, which have tried to do so over many years. The kindest interpretation of Ofwat's response to many of their approaches to try to introduce social tariffs is that it has struggled with the terms of its remit—I will put it no stronger than that. In answer to the question that the hon. Member for Vale of York asked, the reason why we need the proposal in legislation, and why it is a little special compared with the broad range of recommendations in the Walker review, is that not that many of Anna Walker's recommendations require primary legislation in quite the same way. There is clearly a problem, and it is one that is perceived to be connected with the general remit under which Ofwat operates. We heard in our evidence session about the need that had been identified to put the matter beyond doubt in primary legislation. There are not that many recommendations in the Walker review that require primary legislation, and there is certainly not general support for that primary legislation should it derail the Bill before a general election. We also share a desire to get the Bill through before the general election, and new clause 22 seems a good opportunity to tackle the issue in a way that will have general support. New clause 22 puts the legality of social tariffs beyond doubt. The Secretary of State has drawn the new clause widely. It is not prescriptive and does not pre-empt the consultation that will result from the Walker review, but it does address Walker's call for social tariffs to be permitted. The Conservative Front-Bench team did not feel able to support our amendment in Committee to allow, in effect, lower water bills for the poorest customers, and the hon. Member for Vale of York has made some slightly grudging comments this afternoon. I do not think that social tariffs for poor water customers are likely to be confused with stealth taxes. I hope that she will feel able to allow the Conservative party to go a little further this evening and support this important new clause. The central issue is fairness to some of our most vulnerable citizens, and in particular for elderly citizens on fixed incomes for whom such bills are unavoidable, who find it difficult to respond to rising bills.