§ Mr. Austin-WalkerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he has taken following the report of the Construction Industry Research and Information Association in 1989 on the problems of groundwater levels in London. [17507]
§ Sir Paul BeresfordFollowing its report in 1989 CIRIA, undertook a two-year study of groundwater levels in the Whitehall area. Property Holdings then funded this research for another four years until 1995. The study concluded that there was a seasonal change in water levels but no evidence of any long-term rise in groundwater levels.
All Government buildings are inspected every three months. This enables problems of water penetration to be detected and cured at an early stage. No Government building is in imminent danger from rising groundwater as far as we are aware.