§ Mr. Terry Fieldsasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what measures are taken to test supplies of water on Merseyside for pollution; what measures are taken to test for radioactivity; what are the permitted levels of radioactivity in public water supplies; what recent levels have been recorded on Merseyside; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe North-West water authority tests the Merseyside water supplies every day, and regularly analyses samples for a wide range of possible pollutants. The Department's radiochemical inspectorate has recently completed a comprehensive analysis programme of river Dee water, which is used to supply Merseyside, and regularly analyses water from a typical impounding reservoir in north Wales. The radioactive
£000s Cash DOE programmes, expenditure Estimated outturn Estimated outturn Allocation 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 Urban programme Partnership (Liverpool) 17,448 24,801 24,100 Programme (Wirral and Knowsley) 2,959 3,844 5,470 Other 2,079 2,002 2,317 Special projects in Merseyside — 5,000 13,100 Merseyside Development Corporation 5,300 22,500 35,100 New towns: Skelmersdale and Runcorn 15,000 12,300 16,700 Housing investment programme 68,800 102,000 70,060 Special housing projects in Merseyside — 1,000 7,100 Derelict land 2,700 8,223 11,850 Sports council 134 132 160 Special projects — 839 1,000 Historic buildings and conservation grants (offers made) 759 824 N/A Special projects — — 2,000 Housing corporation 44,200 54,640 53,000 Special projects — — 8,630 Total 159,379 238,105 250,587 Government support for local authority current expenditure via Rate support grant 384,417 380,297 388,925 Notes:
1. Urban housing investment, derelict land and Sports Council programmes' figures are for the Merseyside county area, together with that pan of the Merseyside special development area lying outside the county.
2. The housing investment programme outturn figures include expenditure on of capital receipts. For 1983–84 the figure given in the table is the Department's allocation only; local authorities' estimate of outturn for 1983–84 including expenditure of capital receipts is £118 million.
3. The 1983–84 figure for the Housing Corporation is the estimated outturn expenditure. The figures relate to the corporation's Merseyside region.
Additional resources found from within my Department's public expenditure programme have been used to assist specific measures to promote economic regeneration, improve the environment and to develop the
598Wcontent of the samples has been found to be well within the WHO guideline levels, which have been adopted in the United Kingdom.