Water Charges and Transitional Relief Scheme

The motion

That the Parliament notes that the initial impact of the establishment of Scottish Water and the harmonisation of water charges will result in charges in the west and east of Scotland rising, while charges in the north remain higher but by a reduced amount; notes that the increase in charges will be 10% in the west and 8.5% in the east and notes that, in Glasgow, the annual water and sewerage charge for a band A property will rise from £266.40 to £292.77 and that this new charge will constitute 20% of the overall council tax and water and sewerage charge for 2002-03; further notes that the ceiling for the level of transitional relief for 2002-03 has been set at £198 for bands A to E and that relief is awarded within that range on the basis of council tax benefit received, but that the application of this scheme will in the second year mean that no household in a band A property in the city of Glasgow will qualify for any level of relief and that, in addition, out of 103,000 households in receipt of council tax benefit in the city of Glasgow, only 26,000 will qualify for any transitional relief in respect of water and sewerage charges; recognises that further analysis of the situation in Glasgow reveals that the average value of the reduction in band B properties is £25 out of a overall charge of £228, increasing to £220 in a band H household out of an overall charge of £585, that the reduction in charges as a result of the Scottish Executive’s Transitional Water and Sewerage Charges Relief Scheme will benefit those recipients in properties banded higher for council tax more than it will therefore benefit those in properties banded lower for council tax and that, in Glasgow, all recipients of council tax benefit in properties in band D and above will qualify for a water reduction, but that those in properties in band A will not; further notes that there will be an overall reduction in the actual relief granted through the Executive's scheme in Glasgow from 2001-02 to 2002-03 of around £30,000, taking the relief granted from £1.2 million to £1.17 million; believes that this scheme is woefully inadequate with regard to assisting the poorest households in Scotland in dealing with huge rises in water and sewerage charges and that its overall effect is to further penalise the city of Glasgow by reducing the overall amount of relief available, and calls on the Executive to introduce a new scheme urgently that actually helps the poorest households more and, in particular, helps the city of Glasgow.

No recorded vote on this motion. Most motions are never debated, and many that are debated are agreed without a division. Vote records are published from 2011.

No MSP has added their name to this motion.

No contribution in the Official Report cites S1M-03072 by reference.