---

Water Strategy

I certainly agree with the hon. Lady, and in the other two points I will make, I hope to show the way in which my proposals are a package. If that package cannot solve all the problems, it can certainly make a significant difference to the problems that we have faced for many years. On the second goal of the review, I welcome the intention to"““consider the effectiveness of different types of tariff””" and"““to see how they can help vulnerable households.””" However, the review must go further. It must consider the different water companies' effectiveness in ensuring that vulnerable households access the tariffs that are designed to protect them. Without the review of that issue, the best-designed tariffs in the world will prove ineffective at helping the most vulnerable households. To give a sense of the scale of the issue, the Consumer Council for Water recently estimated that, of the 400,000 households thought to be eligible for vulnerable persons regulations—that is a ball park figure—as few as 16,420 are registered to benefit from the tariff. More must be done to increase drastically the proportion of eligible households that benefit from it.