Mr. Chris Jones:

This is a cost-benefit scenario to some extent. The larger gains have been made in controlling leakage on the distribution network. As we have got that under control, the proportion of leakage in what we call the supply pipe to the customer's property has increased and this is an area on which we are now focusing. I cannot comment on the position in Ireland as I am not aware of the background. In Wales, the final pipe to the customer's property is the customer's legal responsibility. However, as part of our water conservation activities, Welsh Water will fix a customer's pipe at least once every two years if there is a leak to ensure water is conserved. We are able to identify leaks because we have a meter for each district of between 50 and 200 properties. If a leak opens up on a supply pipe, we can spot it relatively quickly, even though there may not be a meter on the property in question. In cases where people have a meter on their property, a reading of the meter will pick up supply pipe leaks, at which point we will intervene to help the customer deal with the leak.