Clause 11 - Power to provide for further exemptions
Water Bill [Lords]
5:00 pm
Mr Bill Wiggin (Leominster, Conservative)
I beg to move amendment No. 24, in
clause 11, page 13, line 15, at end insert—
'(d) a prescribed industry, or
(e) trickle irrigation.'.
We touched on trickle irrigation when debating a previous clause. I seek to have trickle irrigation added to the list of general exemptions, which would be helpful. The Government have assured me that the agency will take irrigation into consideration, but there is a difference between sprayer and water-gun irrigation of the sort that we see in fields, and trickle irrigation, in which water seeps out of a hose pipe with holes. I am told that it is much more efficient and that it uses far less water because the water is more targeted. That is why it would be a worthy exemption.
I also ask in the amendment for ''a prescribed industry'' to be added to the list of exemptions. I had in mind bottled water, but certain industries may or may not be omitted, and allowing the Government to prescribe which industries they should be would be constructive.