§ 1. Mr. Cabornasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions he has had with the European Commission in respect of privatisation of the English and Welsh water authorities.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment (Mr. Colin Moynihan)My Department has had discussions and has corresponded with the Commission at different times about water privatisation.
§ Mr. CabornI thank the Minister for that non-reply. Will the Department take notice of counsel's opinion sought by the Commission at the back end of last year on the last privatisation proposal, when great concern was shown about the competent authority that was to be in control? From that, it was clearly shown that the privatisation proposals could well put at risk people in the United Kingdom. It would be very ironic if we were brought before the European Court of Justice—as possibly we might—on this question as well as about our beaches and polluted rivers.
§ Mr. MoynihanThe new proposals for the National Rivers Authority mean that the NRA will be the competent authority for various EEC directives. That means that the new body will remain a public body. I hope that there will be no further problems such as those experienced last year.
§ Mr. KeyI congratulate my hon. Friend on his appearance at the Dispatch Box. I remind him that in March 1986 the Department produced a paper on water and sewerage law. Do the Government intend to introduce water abstraction licensing before, during or after privatisation? I should be most grateful if my hon. Friend will let the House know the answer to that at the earliest possible opportunity.
§ Mr. MoynihanI think that I shall be able to help my hon. Friend tomorrow. I regret that I am unable to preempt the publication of the document, which we hope will be tomorrow. That point will be fully assessed in that document. There will then be time during the summer for full representations to be made and for consultations to take place.
§ Mr. Win GriffithsHas the Minister investigated the possibility of legal proceedings being instituted against the privatised water authorities if they fail to comply with EEC directive 76/160 on those beaches which have been designated as such? Is it true that water authorities are already being taken to the European Court of Justice for failing to comply with that directive?
§ Mr. MoynihanDiscussions sponsored by the Commission produced recommendations for improvements in bathing waters. We have responded to that bathing water directive, and currently some £70 million is being spent each year by the water authorities on improvement programmes.
§ Mr. BoyesDoes the Minister recall that I wrote on 22 December last year to the then Minister, the hon. Member for Oxford, West and Abingdon (Mr. Patten), about a difference of opinion between Commissioner Stanley Clinton Davis and the Minister about competent authorities? Why have I not had a reply to that letter despite six months of repeated requests and written questions, especially when the Government have spent more than £1.5 million on advisers about water privatisation? Taking that waste of public money into consideration, is it not an outrage that the Minister cannot write a letter back to me?
§ Mr. MoynihanThe hon. Gentleman will be aware that the Government were unable to reply to his letter while they were considering their position. Now that we have the NRA as the competent authority, I can assure the hon. Gentleman that he will he receiving a reply first thing tomorrow morning.