THE POLICY FRAMEWORK IN THE MEDIUM TERM
讨论了英格兰和威尔士水务行业的价格、投资、质量和污染监管问题，指出不同监管机构目标不一致可能导致效率低下，并建议加强成本收益分析和经济工具在污染控制中的应用。
The problem of regulating prices, investment, quality and pollution in the water industry in England and Wales is discussed. The existence of separate regulators with different objectives creates the potential for inefficiency. The economic characteristics of the water supply process (local natural monopoly conditions, long asset lives and the roles of quality and pollution) are described and the new regulatory structure in England and Wales is assessed. It is argued that cost-benefit analysis should play a greater role in the setting and policing of pollution and quality standards, and that economic instruments should be used for pollution control. Copyright 1993 by Oxford University Press.