HC Deb 06 December 1996 vol 286 cc814-5W
Mr. Morgan

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list for each year since 1991 those beaches which complied with the EU bathing water directive standard guide for(a) total and faecal coliforms, (b) faecal streptococci, and (c) coliforms and faecal streptococci combined. [7447]

Mr. Moss

Responsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Environment and Heritage Service under its chief executive, Mr. Robert C. Martin. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Robert C. Martin to Mr. Rhodri Morgan, dated 5 December 1996: As Chief Executive of Environment and Heritage Service, I am responsible for all operational aspects of the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland's environmental policies. I am therefore responding to the Parliamentary Question which you put down in the House of Commons on 3 December 1996; 'to ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will list for each year since 1991 those beaches which complied with the EU Bathing Water Directive Standard Guide for

  1. (a) total and faecal coliforms,
  2. (b) faecal streptococci, and
  3. (c) coliforms and faecal streptococci combined.'
The information requested is best summarised on the attached table. Please note that monitoring for the faecal streptococci parameter commenced in 1992 and therefore the table is not complete for the year 1991. I trust you will find this reply helpful.

Bathing water compliance with the guideline standard in Northern Ireland, 1991–1996
Year 1991 1992 1993
Site a1 b2 c3 a1 b2 c3 a1 b2 c3
Benone P nd nd P P P P P P
Castlerock F nd nd F F F F F F
Portstewart P nd nd F P F F P F
Portrush (Mill) P nd nd P P P P P P
Portrush (Curran) P nd nd P P P P F F
Ballycastle F nd nd F F F F P F
Browns
Bay P nd nd F F F P P P
Helens
Bay F nd nd F P F F F F
Crawfordsburn P nd nd F P F F P F
Ballyholme F nd nd F F F F F F
Groomsport P nd nd P P P F F F
Millisle P nd nd P F F F F F
Tyrella P nd nd P P P P P P
Newcastle P nd nd F F F F F F
Cranfield (Nicholson's) P nd nd P F F P P P
Cranfield Bay P nd nd F F F P F F
Number of passes 12 7 8 5 7 8 5

Year 1994 1995 1996
Site a1 b2 c3 a1 b2 c3 a1 b2 c3
Benone P P P P P P P P P
Castlerock F P F F P F F P F
Portstewart P P P P P P F P F
Portrush (Mill) P P P P P P P P P
Portrush (Curran) P P P P P P P P P
Ballycastle P P P F P F P P P
Browns
Bay P P P P P P P P P
Helens
Bay F P F F F F P P P
Crawfordsburn P P P P P P P P P
Ballyhorne P P P P F F P P P
Groomsport P P P P P P P P P
Millisle F P F P P P P P P
Tyrelia P P P P P P P P P
Newcastle F F F P P P P P P
Cranfield (Nicholson's) P P P P P P P P P
Cranfield
Bay F F F P P P P P P
Number of passes 12 15 12 13 14 12 14 16 14
1 Guideline standard for total and faecal coliforms.
2 Guideline standard for faecal streptococci.
3 Guideline standard for total and faecal coliforms combined with faecal streptococci.

P-pass

F-fail

nd-no data, faecal streptococci monitoring began in 1992.