Hopes are high that radical changes to the water charges in the South West could be on the way, bringing an end to staggering bills for those on low incomes.

In a special Parliamentary debate led by MP for Truro & St Austell, Matthew Taylor, Liberal Democrat and Labour MPs joined forces in calling on Ministers to implement reforms to bring down water rates in the South West. The region's bills are the most expensive in the country, and hopes are high that change is on the way. No Conservative MPs were present at the debate, which the other MPs attributed to Conservative privatisation having caused high bills!

The average water bill in the South West this year is £480, and £650 for unmetered users, compared to the £275 average in London.

Mr Taylor proposed a series of reforms to tackle unaffordable charges. As part of a long-term solution supported by the Liberal Democrats, he identified different mechanisms for redistributing the costs of maintaining the South West's coast line more fairly across the country. This has already been agreed by Labour for Northern Ireland, where UK tax payers will subsidise caps on bills after 2010. However, the Labour Government Minister ruled out national financial aid for the South West.

Falling short of country-wide redistribution of the costs, Matthew Taylor proposed a more affordable South West tariff system to ensure ordinary families and pensioners have their bills cut. Metered households in the South West would pay a low rate for the basic amount of water that they needed, depending on how many people lived in the house. They would then pay a higher rate for any additional water, for example to have a swimming pool or do a lot of car cleaning.

The cheap water allowance would cover basic household needs, like baths, toilets and drinking water. Mr Taylor said it should relate to the number of people in the household, and allow for any special needs due to disability.

Second homeowners, who tend to pay the lowest metered bills despite greatly benefiting from the region's beaches, would also be identified to ensure they make a fair contribution towards the costs of environmental clean up.

Mr Taylor commented: "Since the Conservatives botched the water privatisation, bill-payers in the South West have been saddled with the highest bills in the country. 3% have been paying for 30% of the beach clean-up, and in the poorest part of the country no less."