HC Deb 15 July 1992 vol 211 cc1129-31
9. Mr. Hanson

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about compliance with the EC bathing water directive.

Mr. Maclean

Compliance has improved from 51 per cent. in 1986 to 76 per cent. last year. A £2 billion programme of improvements is under way to bring virtually all identified bathing waters up to standard by 1995.

Mr. Hanson

With respect, is not the Minister being rather complacent? Can he confirm that the Government pressured the European Commission into postponing the hearing about British beaches, which would have coincided with the commencement of the British presidency of the Commission? Was not that simply because the Government wished to avoid the embarrassment of occupying the Commision presidency while avoiding the Commission's directives on bathing waters?

Mr. Maclean

It is the hon. Gentleman who is avoiding the point. However, he cannot avoid the fact that we have a £2,000 million investment programme which will bring most of our beaches up to standard by 1995. The Commission has accepted that it would not be possible to accelerate that enormous programme further. The Opposition must make up their minds what they want. Do they wish to compain about the speed with which the progamme is being implemented or about the size of water bills? We are paying through our water bills, but most people want their beaches to be cleaned up—and rightly so.

Mr. Harris

Does my hon. Friend accept that while that programme is not just desirable but essential, it is putting impossible burdens on the consumers of some water companies, particularly those of South West Water? Is he aware that, with colleagues from Cornwall and Devon, I had meetings today with the chairman and officers of South West Water, who are very concerned indeed about the financial impact of this capital programme and even more worried about what other measures will be imposed on water companies, not least by the National Rivers Authority, adding to the burden on hard-pressed consumers?

Mr. Maclean

I have considerable sympathy with the points that my hon. Friend makes. In his latter question, he pointed up the trap into which some Opposition Members fall—the trap of automatically calling for ever tougher standards which might not be necessary in every circumstance. We have a huge investment programme, which in the case of the south-west has resulted in some large increases in water bills. However, the south-west is not unique; there are other parts of the country with particular problems, such as those associated with getting rid of nitrates in water and the £4,000 million programme to clean up the Mersey basin. I know that the Director-General of Water Services, Ian Byatt, will be looking at the K factor in his next review. Only through that mechanism may he be able to assist the south-west.

Mrs. Ann Taylor

If the Government are so proud of their record, why—having been in power for 13 years—are they in breach of the directives so often? Is the Minister aware of suggestions being made in Brussels that the environment directorate, DG11, should be restructured and perhaps denied the opportunity to take legal action against member states? Will the Minister say clearly whether he supports continuation of the powers of DG11 to take legal action against member states when such action is in the interests of environmental protection throughout Europe?

Mr. Maclean

I will not take lessons from the hon. Lady as her party slashed expenditure on our water industry when it was last in power and seems to gloat at every opportunity when Britain is subject to legal proceedings. Labour Members automatically make the assumption that Britain must be wrong. It is about time they stood up for Britain on occasions.

I am not prepared to comment on rumours that the hon. Lady may care to quote about what may be happening in DG11. It is clear that we want to clean up our beaches. Even without the directive, we would want to make substantial progress in cleaning up our beaches and improving our water supply. The British Government will continue to do that, irrespective of pressure from whatever source.

Mr. Knapman

As our private water companies have access to private capital, we shall comply with the directive, but what evidence does my hon. Friend have that our EC partners are making any real efforts to comply?

Mr. Maclean

My hon. Friend makes a valid point. That is why we have continually stressed that it is vital that enforcement of whatever EC directives are agreed is carried out at European level. One of our priorities in our presidency will be to insist that enforcement is even throughout the EC. We shall seek to introduce measures to that effect. We should like to see an inspectorate of inspectorates to carry out that task. Certainly, we do not want any diminution of enforcement or repatriation of enforcement to national authorities.