§ Mr. BurdenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what are his plans for market testing or privatisation of the laboratory service of the National Rivers Authority;
(2) what plans he has for the closure of laboratories used by the National Rivers Authority; and what critera are to be used to select laboratories for closure;
(3) if he will list the areas served by each chemical laboratory used by the National Rivers Authority;
(4) what representations his Department has received regarding the timetable of the market-testing exercise for National Rivers Authority laboratories and their reliability of financial information on which their exercise is based;
(5) what internal audit there has been in respect of the liability of financial information relating to the market testing of National Rivers Authority laboratory services; and what were the results of that internal audit;
(6) what assessment he has made of the implications of closing or sharing National Rivers Authority laboratories for the investigation and prosecution of pollution incidents; and what representations he has received from external legal advisers on the subject.