Mr David Nicholson: Those of our constituents all over the country who are paying greatly increased water charges will need to know of the value for money in the increased investment in the water and sewerage industry. Incidentally, they will also be concerned about the burden on single-person households and share the general pressure for water metering. Is my hon. Friend aware that the consumers of South West...
Mr David Nicholson: ..., but I understand that the director general of Ofwat has expressed reservations about whether infrastructure charges are the most suitable way in which to recover the costs of extending water and sewerage systems. As part of his public consultation on his paper "Paying for Water", the director general has said that further thought needs to be given to those charges. In a letter to me on...