HC Deb 12 June 1997 vol 295 c516W
Mr. Martyn Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will include in his review of the abstraction licensing system new measures to ensure that water companies manage their aquifer resources sustainably; and if he will make a statement. [2789]

Angela Eagle

A key aim will be to ensure that the environment is properly protected, while providing fair and flexible arrangements for access to water resources by water companies to meet properly managed demands in a sustainable way. Amongst the possible measures which will be studied are economic instruments in relation to abstraction.