89. The Rev. LI. Williamsasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs how many prosecutions there have been to date as a result of offences against the River Pollution Acts; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BevinsMy right hon. Friend has very little information on which to base a reply to the first part of the Question. River boards are required to obtain his consent before prosecuting for certain offences under Section 2 (1) of the Rivers (Prevention of Pollution) Act, 1951. These are offences relating to trade wastes and local authority sewage effluents.
In all there have been 28 applications for consent, of which 9 were granted and one refused. Three cases are quite recent and the remaining 15 led to negotiations which have either ended in a settlement or are still proceeding.
I must, however, make it clear that these figures relate to applications and not to prosecutions; and also that there are other provisions both in The Act of 1951 and in other legislation under which prosecutions can be brought.