Alliance Spokesperson on Regional Development said: “I asked the Minister why he neglected to mention water conservation and sustainability in his statement and the terms of reference of the review.
“His answer was extremely vague, and he did nothing to assure people that he would take into account vital environmental considerations when conducting the review.
“One of the major criticisms of the previous arrangements for water charging, by Alliance and other respondents, including the General Consumer Council, was that whilst the EU Directive on which tap tax was based, was meant to encourage conservation of this important resource, but the method proposed did nothing to encourage water conservation.
“It would be highly irregular for any review into water charges to ignore this important area. We will continue to hold the Minister to account on this issue.”
ENDS