Professor Tom Collins:

With the caveat that I am not speaking for the group sector, there is something in the question of the ethos and the point Deputy Brophy made around the kind of co-operative model of self-management and self-production that is involved in the group scheme. It is probably useful to remind the committee that the concept of the subsidy to the group scheme was introduced in the 1990s and coincided with the abolition of water charges at that time. Its introduction was triggered by the fact that households that had paid water charges prior to then were no longer paying them. It is therefore reasonable to expect that the group sector will have a view should the final determination of the matter be that their members will pay and others will not. I suspect that will be a difficult argument to hold.

As I stated, the ethos of self-management around a key resource is an important ethos to protect. I would also say that it is key to conservation. It is self-management and self-regulation and this probably could be applied in some other areas around conservation.

Information on conservation is the first step. It is a necessary condition for conservation, though it might not be sufficient. Unlike a parking meter, people believe that if water is leaking on their property it is not depriving another user of water. It is seen as a non-rivalrous product.