§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the current level of dieldren in eels in the Severn-Trent water authority.
§ Mr. MoynihanThere was considerable concern about the relatively high concentrations of dieldrin in eels from the river Avon in 1985, following deaths of herons living around the river. However, eels taken from rivers in the area in 1988 had lower concentrations of dieldrin in their muscle than the eels taken in previous years. This is consistent with the results of river water monitoring, which shows a continuing trend downwards to extremely low levels. Present levels of dieldrin in river waters are normally below 5 nanogrammes per litre.