§ 2. Mr. Turtonasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what steps he is taking to investigate the possibilities of augmenting public water supplies by a Humber barrage scheme and increased abstraction of groundwater supplies.
§ The Minister of State, Ministry of Housing and Local Government (Mr. Denis Howell)A Humber barrage scheme could not, in practice, augment public water supplies because of the poor quality of the water in the estuary; and there would be the risk of destroying the important deep-water approaches to Humberside. On ground-water resources, I would refer the right hon. Gentleman to my reply to him on 25th November.—[Vol. 792, c. 52—3.]
§ Mr. TurtonAs a great part of the country has now been covered by hydro-geological surveys, would the Minister advise river and water authorities to explore the possibilities of obtaining supplies of ground-water reserves by means of boreholes in preference to the policy of wasting good agricultural land by impounding surface water in costly reservoirs?
§ Mr. HowellI am certain that the growing demand for water is a problem which will be with us for a long time. I agree that any resources which can economically be brought into play should be so brought into play, and I will consider the specific suggestion made by the right hon. Gentleman.