Maintaining stable charging and improving customer service will be the main priorities for the Scottish water industry as it looks to 2014 and beyond, Stewart Stevenson announced.

The Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change said that innovation is key to the long term success of the water industry and identified the possibility of customer rebates for poor service as an example of how the industry could innovate to improve customer service in the future.

Speaking at The Future Of Scotland's Water conference, the Minister said: "While the industry may be in good shape today, we must ensure it is in even better shape in the future. We must maintain the best aspects we have and improve on all the others.

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"I believe that one of the greatest advantages of our system is the commitment to stable charges. In return for their charges customers rightly expect high quality service. Scottish Water has made great strides through recently improving its customer service and should be congratulated on this.

"When customers pay for a service, they rightly expect to receive good quality service. In most commercial areas this is a given, but it is not so in the water industry. We should therefore also consider setting a guaranteed minimum service. Considering customer rebates when service fails is an example of how the industry could innovate.

Mr Stevenson concluded: "Our vision for the future should build on our current strengths. It should ensure that the water industry makes a major contribution to Scotland's economic growth. It should lead to the unique model we have in Scotland becoming a compelling example throughout the world of how best to deliver water services."

(CD/JM)