§ 2. Sir J. Gilmourasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is satisfied with the precautions taken to ensure against contamination of water supplies in Scotland; what facilities are available for detection of contamination; and if he will make a statement.
Dr. Dickson MahonI have no reason to think that water boards do not take all reasonable precautions in discharging their statutory duty to provide wholesome supplies, or that they do not make full use of the medical and laboratory services available to them.
§ Sir J. GilmourIn view of the scare at Auchtermuchty, may I ask the hon. Gentleman whether he is satisfied that the use of chemicals which may be dangerous should be permitted in catchment areas? This is emphasised by what happened in the Rhine the other day.
§ Dr. MabonThere is a difference between the position in Germany and that in our country, because we take a lot of our water from upland sources. When water is taken from a river, there are precise arrangements about filtration, and so on. The hon. Gentleman will know that Circular 32/68 lays all this out. I am concerned about what happened at Auchtermuchty, and I have looked into it closely.