Mike Treleaven presents Water Justice Petition to 10 Downing Street - Thursday March 24th.

12.00.00am GMT Sat 26th Mar 2005

Totnes Prospective Parliamentary Candidate, Mike Treleaven, presented his petition calling for 'Water Justice' to 10 Downing Street at 9.00a.m. on Thursday March 24th. The petition calls for fair treatment for people in the South West where 3% of the population pay for the clean up of 30% of the nation's beaches.

After handing in the petition Mike Treleaven said:

'Water bills in South Devon and the South West generally are 30% above the average for the rest of the country and have risen 16% this year as customers will have found out recently when the bills landed on their doormats. I am calling for Government to equalise the charges over the country. There was provision for this in a 1977 Act of Parliament but this was repealed by the Conservatives when they privatised water in the 1980s. As a result of privatisation Britain was unable to claim EU money to help pay for the beach clean up and bills in the South West have rocketed as local people have had to foot the bill. Last year Liberal Democrat M.P., Richard Younger-Ross, tabled an amendment to the Water Bill to allow equalisation but this was rejected by the Labour Government.'

He continued:

'Over recent weeks I have been collecting signatures for my petition throughout the constituency and presented the first batch to Downing Street on Thursday together with Liberal Democrat Party Chairman, Mathew Taylor M.P.an Falmouth and Camborne PPC, Julia Godsworthy. These high charges are imposing intolerable burdens, particularly on pensioners and the low paid for whom no help is available - it is time for action. It is time for Water Justice!'