§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many dwellings are considered to be unfit for human habitation because the drinking water contains lead in excess of 50 µg/l due to the presence of lead pipework in the dwelling; and if he will make a statement. [21257]
§ Angela EagleOn the basis of information up to 1995, it is estimated that about 700,000 dwellings then had a water supply with a lead concentration exceeding 50 µg/litre. Measures have been taken by water companies since then in many areas to reduce the ability of water to dissolve lead, and this may have reduced the number of dwellings affected.
§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the number of dwellings which will be considered to be unfit for human habitation when the standard for lead in drinking water at the tap is 10 µg/l by the proposed Directive on Drinking Water; and if he will make a statement. [21258]
§ Angela EagleThe standard of 10 µg/l in the proposed EC Drinking Water Directive would not apply until 15 years after adoption of the Directive, and would apply to water as supplied to the property, not at the tap. Water companies will be expected to comply with the new limit by the due date.
§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many dwellings were considered unfit for human habitation in(a) the 1991 and (b) the 1996 English House Condition Survey due to the presence of lead pipework and the plumbosolvent nature of the water supplies; and if he will make a statement. [21256]
§ Angela EagleThis information is not available from the English House Condition Survey. Though surveyors were asked to record the presence of lead pipework, they were instructed to exclude it from any assessment of unfitness as it is not practical to measure the concentration of lead in the water supply during the physical survey.