HC Deb 25 July 1988 vol 138 cc55-6W
Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) when figures for 1987 will be made available for the total amount of fines collected following prosecutions under the Control of Pollution Act 1974 in respect of water pollution due to the breach of water authority consents;

(2) on how many occasions the maximum fine has been levied against an offender in breach of water authority consents following the implementation of the Control of Pollution Act 1974;

(3) what was the total amount of fines collected in each year, following the implementation of the Control of Pollution Act 1974, in respect of successful prosecutions brought against polluters in breach of water authority consents;

(4) when figures for 1987 will be made available on the number of occasions when water authority consents for the discharge of pollution into United Kingdom waterways were breached by polluters, the legal action taken by water authorities and the convictions achieved.

Mr. Moynihan

Information collected by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department shows that in 1986, the first year for which figures are readily available, fines imposed following prosecutions by water authorities specifically for breaches of discharge consents totalled approximately £20,000. Magistrates imposed the £2,000 maximum fine on one occasion. Data for 1987 are expected to be available in the autumn.

Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment why, in view of the number of sewage treatment works breaching his consents, no prosecutions have thus far been taken out against water authorities for breach of consents; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Moynihan

As announced in our recent response to the Environment Committee, water authorities have major programmes of capital works to bring all sewage treatment works into compliance with their consent conditions by 1991–92. Clearly, where major investment is involved, it takes time to bring works up to standard and, in the Governments view, there is little to be gained by prosecution in these circumstances. However, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Pollution has recently informed water authorities that it will consider prosecution in cases where works are persistently non-compliant, where discharges are significantly affecting water quality and where an authority has no plans for remedial action.