§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all the rural villages within the Don Valley constituency that are not connected to a main sewerage supply system; what proposals he has made to ensure that these villages are connected to such a system before the water industry is privatised; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MoynihanI understand that the following villages in the hon. Member's constituency are not connected to the public sewerage system: Hooton Pagnell (part), Hampoles, Skelbrooke, Brodsworth, Pickburn, Moorhouses, Marr (part), Stainton (part) and Tickhill.
Responsibility for sewerage services rests with the Yorkshire and Severn-Trent water authorities. It would be for them to provide main sewerage for the villages if they considered this necessary for effectually draining their areas.
The Water Bill provides for the general duty of sewerage undertakers to be spelt out in more detail and for the re-enactment with improvements of the provisions under which local authorities and others can requisition public sewers. Grants under the Rural Water Supplies and Sewerage Acts will continue to be available.