Moved by
Lord Ashton of Hyde
83A: After Clause 32, insert the following new Clause—
“Disclosure of information to water and sewerage undertakers
(1) If the first and second conditions are met, a specified person may disclose information held by the person in connection with any of the person’s functions to—
(a) a water or sewerage undertaker for an area which is wholly or mainly in England, or
(b) a water or sewerage undertaker for an area which is wholly or mainly in Wales.
(2) The first condition is that the disclosure is for the purpose of assisting people living in water poverty by—
(a) reducing their water or sewerage costs,
(b) improving efficiency in their use of water, or
(c) improving their health or financial well-being.
(3) The second condition is that the information is disclosed with the intention that it will be used by the undertaker in connection with provision in the undertaker’s charges scheme under section 143 of the Water Industry Act 1991 which is included in that scheme—
(a) in compliance with regulations under section 143A of that Act which impose requirements within subsection (2)(d) of that section (power for regulations to require charges schemes to make special provision for particular classes of individual), or
(b) by virtue of section 44 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 (social tariffs).
(4) In the case of a person (“P”) who is a specified person merely because of providing services to a public authority, the reference in subsection (1) to the functions of a specified person is limited to the functions P exercises for that purpose.
(5) For the purposes of this Chapter a person lives in water poverty if the person is a member of a household living on a lower income in a home which—
(a) cannot be supplied with water at a reasonable cost, or
(b) cannot be supplied with sewerage services at a reasonable cost.”
83B: After Clause 32, insert the following new Clause—
“Disclosure of information by water and sewerage undertakers
(1) If the condition in subsection (2) is met, a person to whom information may be disclosed under section (Disclosure of information to water and sewerage undertakers) may disclose information held by that person to a specified person.
(2) That condition is that the disclosure is for the purpose of assisting people living in water poverty in England and Wales by—
(a) reducing their water or sewerage costs,
(b) improving efficiency in their use of water, or
(c) improving their health or financial well-being.”