§ Mrs. Ann TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all outstanding applications for(a) long sea outfalls, and (b) sewage treatment works.
§ Mr. Heathcoat-Amory[holding answer 17 May 1990]: Responsibility for granting consents for discharges made 646W by the water services companies rests with the National Rivers Authority. This responsibility includes the determination of all undetermined applications submitted to the Department by the former water authorities which, under the transitional provisions of the Water Act 1989, are treated as if they had been made by the water services company to the National Rivers Authority.
The only exceptions to these are applications that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has called in for his own consideration. In the case of sewage treatment works, these were applications from the former water authorities for time-limited consents for those works covered by the accelerated improvement programme announced by my hon. and learned Friend the then Minister for Housing and Planning on 7 December 1988 at column 199. All but those listed have been determined and my Department will shortly be writing to all objectors informing them of the outcome of each application.
Anglian Water Authority—Bletsoe and Newton Blossomville
Severn Trent Water Authority—Baschurch
North West Water Authority—Rossendale and Rochdale
Details of all outstanding applications are available from the public registers held by the National Rivers Authority.
The Department has no outstanding applications in respect of discharge consents for long sea outfalls.