§ Mr. LlwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how much has been spent in the last five years cleaning up the Welsh beaches; [40467]
(2) what initiatives are being pursued to ensure that Welsh beaches comply with the European Union mandatory standard. [40473]
§ Mr. Win GriffithsThis Government are committed to complying with the EC Bathing Water Directive (76/160/EEC). Last year 60 of the 64 EC identified
298Wbathing waters on the Welsh coastline met the mandatory bacteriological standards set in the Directive. This compliance rate of 94 per cent. was the highest ever achieved in Wales.
In the last five years (1992/93–1996/97) Dwr Cymru has spent £230 million on improvements to its discharges into coastal waters. The company is playing a major role in the Green Sea initiative, a collaborative venture working toward the target of 50 Blue Flag beaches in Wales. To achieve Blue Flag status, water quality will need to attain the even more stringent guideline standards 299W set in the EC Directive, as well as meeting various land based criteria. 31 of the 64 EC identified bathing waters monitored in Wales in 1997 met the guideline standards.