DUP 2007 POLICY PAPERS
Water Charges:
The Government's plans for water charging ignore the fact that people in Northern Ireland already pay for their water. The debate should not be about whether people should pay for water, but whether they should be expected to pay twice. We believe that they should not.
The DUP has consistently opposed the Government's plans for water charging. We also opposed to the privatisation of the Water Service. We believe the arrangements must be fundamentally changed to ensure the best deal possible for Northern Ireland householders.
In reality, water charges have been used as cover to increase massively the level of taxation in Northern Ireland. While there may be justifications for a separate charging mechanism for water services, there does not need to be a significant increase in the overall tax burden.
We have previously argued that if there is to be separate charging for water, it should take account of the money already raised for water services through the regional rate and that efficiencies within Water Service should free up resources.
Indeed, if other parties supported our proposals for cutting the cost of Government in Northern Ireland we could ensure there was little or no additional burden on Northern Ireland householders.
This would significantly reduce the impact on householders.
We continue to believe that the option of voluntary metering, with appropriate consideration being given to infrastructure costs, should be available for all Northern Ireland consumers. The capital value of a person's home is too inaccurate an indicator ability to pay to be the only reliable method for assessing water charges. Ultimately, the wider the availability of water metering, the greater the potential that exists for encouraging water conservation.
We also believe the average water charge should be no higher than the average in England and Wales with a maximum charge fixed at this level.
Any system of water charging must
