§ Rev. Ian Paisleyasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he will announce the date when the work on a water supply will commence on Rathlin Island.
§ Mr. Carter,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 24th November 1977; Vol. 939], gave the following information
Before work can commence on the Rathlin Island water supply scheme it is necessary for the Northern Ireland Department of the Environment to acquire the necessary water rights under Article 11 of the Water and Sewerage Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1973. The Department has already begun the consultative procedures, but as the proposal to abstract water may be subject to appeal it is impossible to predict an exact starting date for the scheme.