§ Dr. GodmanTo ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 17 March,Official Report, column 283, what was the average length of time that elapsed between the European Court of Justice finding that Her Majesty's Government were in breach of its obligations under EC directives and the necessary steps being taken to rectify matters; and if he will make a statement.
§ The Prime Minister[holding answer 31 March 1993]: Four cases were referred to in my previous reply in which the United Kingdom was held by the European Court of Justice to be in breach of EC directives. Three of these cases required legislative action to give full effect to the judgment of the Court; this took between six and 14 months to complete. In the fourth case, concerning a breach of directive 80/788—drinking water—when judgment was delivered on 25 November 1992 the UK had already complied on two of the points on which it was found to be in breach. Action on the remaining two points is in hand.