§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what, following the recent water survey, is his estimate of the number of households in 541W England and Wales, and Scotland, which have water lead levels (a) higher than the present WHO limit and (b) higher than the proposed new WHO and EEC limits;
(2) if he has yet made the statement to Parliament promised before the European Secondary Legislation Select Committee on 9th December on the matter of water lead levels;
(3) what advice his Department has given to households found to have high water lead levels during the recent survey;
(4) to what factor he attributes the increase in water lead levels between the stopcock and the tap found during the recent household survey;
(5) what percentage of households in the recent water survey was found to have water lead levels higher than the present WHO limits (a) at the beginning of the day and (b) during the day, giving separate figures for England and Wales, and Scotland;
(6) what percentage of households in the recent water survey was found to have water lead levels higher than the proposed new WHO and EEC limits (a) at the beginning of the day and (b) during the day, giving separate figures for England and Wales, and Scotland;
(7) if he will make a statement on the seven-fold increase in the percentage of
542W
0.05 mg/l and over 0.10 mg/l and over Percentage of households in sample Estimated number of households (millions) based on percentage in sample Percentage of households in sample Estimated number of households (millions) based on percentage in sample England First Draw … 18.6 3.0 7.0 1.1 Daytime sample … 8.0 1.3 2.6 0.4 Wales First draw … 19.0 0.2 9.5 0.1 Daytime sample … 9.5 0.1 2.3 (0.02) Scotland First draw … 41.3 0.7 27.8 0.5 Daytime sample … 35.3 0.6 22.0 0.4 households in Scotland, compared with England and Wales, found to have a water lead level above current WHO limits during the recent water survey;
(8) what action his Department is taking to guarantee the standard of tap water;
(9) if he will publish the regional disposition of the 2,400 households in England and Wales included in his recent water survey;
(10) if he will introduce legislation to require water authorities to provide a wholesome supply of water at the tap;
(11) what were the reasons for his Department recently requesting the water authorities to carry out a household survey.
§ Mr. Denis HowellI refer my hon. Friend to my answer given on the 16th December to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Newton (Mr. Evans). I there explained why the survey of lead in water had been set up, the nature of the limits recommended by the World Health Organisation and proposed by the European Commission, and I described the preliminary results of the survey. I also said that the detailed results would be published, I hoped, in about three months' time.
Preliminary figures based on the sample are as follows:
543WThe fuller results and analysis of the implications of the survey must await the publication of the Report; among other points, we shall need to look at how accurate our preliminary estimate of the number of households is. It is not yet clear why the figures for Scotland are higher, but this is presumably related to the softness and acidity of much of the water there.
As I said in my earlier answer—[Vol. 902, c. 628–30]—all water put into supply by the water authorities had lead levels well below the recommended WHO and proposed EEC limits, but the levels can be affected by factors such as the time for which water has been standing in pipes in or leading to the property, which are, in general, not the responsibility of the water authorities.
I made clear in my earlier answer that water authorities and participating water companies are advising householders about what action may be desirable where the higher levels are found. Usually this will mean simply not drinking water that has been standing for some hours.