§ Mr. Masonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent survey has been made of the River Dearne by his Department and the Yorkshire River Authority with a view to halting the discharge of poisonous and other effluents into this river; what Government assistance has been made available for this task; and to what extent it is designed to clean up the stretch of the River Dearne which flows through Barnsley and district.
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§ Mr. Eldon GriffithsThe River Pollution Survey 1970 undertaken by my Department in conjunction with the river authorities included information on river quality and on polluting discharges, estimates of cost of remedial work and forecasts of the posibilities of river improvement.
Responsibility for prevention of pollution of the River Dearne rests with the Yorkshire River Authority. It will be transferred to the Yorkshire Water Authority in April 1974. Wide powers are available under existing legislation to deal with river pollution, and these powers are to be further strengthened. I understand that the river authority has indicated that considerable remedial works will be required by the end of this decade in order to meet more stringent conditions for effluents to be discharged to the river in the Barnsley area. No direct assistance has been made available by the Government.