§ Ms. WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the process of consultations with water authorities to review the existing classification schemes for rivers and estuaries began; and which environmental and consumer interests have been consulted.
§ Mr. MoynihanThe Department has already held informal and preliminary discussions within the water industry concerning the classification schemes for rivers and estuaries. These have resulted in a number of proposals for improvement and clarification, on which we hope to consult shortly. In finalising our proposals, we will of course take account of comments from interested parties.
§ Ms. WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of the length of English and Welsh rivers have not been routinely mentioned for chemical parameters in each of the last five years.
§ Mr. MoynihanAll main rivers are routinely monitored by water authorities for a variety of parameters. The extent to which minor rivers are individually monitored is a150W matter for the discretion of the water authorities in local circumstances. The information requested is therefore not available centrally.
§ Ms. WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment why the 1985 report on river quality in England and Wales for 1980–85 contains no biological monitoring results.
§ Mr. MoynihanAs we indicated in the Government's response to the Environment Select Committee's report on pollution of rivers and estuaries, published in June, biological testing has an important and growing role in monitoring water quality. However, it is not at present undertaken consistently by all authorities and tends to be site specific. The 1985 river quality survey was therefore compiled on the basis of the chemical criteria on which present river and estuary classifications are based. It will be for the NRA to consider in due course what role biological testing should play in future surveys.