PROVISION OF BASIC UTILITIES IN RURAL ENGLAND
Report No DWI0632
May 1989
Executive Summary
Issues
Electricity Privatisation:
The Bill puts the onus for controlling the privatised industry firmly on the regulatory body to set limits to the overall level and also to assess the structure of charges. It is unlikely that under privatisation there will be extra provision of resources to overcome the high costs of connection for isolated areas, or provide three-phase supply.
Water Privatisation:
The Bill provides for certain costs to be recovered from occupiers of properties for supplying new mains and connections to existing mains and for a right of appeal to an independent technical expert if there is disagreement over those costs. This right of appeal is valuable and an improvement over the present position, but in general the legislation is designed to confirm rather than improve on the status quo which is not to the advantage of the rural areas. The Bill provides no basis for assuming that Government will recognise the need for additional resources for sewerage and drainage for economic development.
The prospects of making amendments to the proposed legislation are not now great, however.
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