Mr. Ted Fletcherasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government (1) if he will set up a Departmental inquiry into the lack of progress that is being made toward ending the pollution of the River Skerne at Darlington;
(2) if he will request the Northumbrian River Authority to publish from its register the number and names of the firms in the Darlington area who are discharging effluent into the River Skerne.
Mr. Ted Fletcherasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what are the administrative arrangements between the Northumbrian River Authority and his Department;
(2) if he will introduce amending legislation in order to enable local authorities to end or suspend their financial contributions to river authorities if they are dissatisfied with the service that they receive;
(3) if he will introduce legislation to define the duties and responsibilities of local authority representatives who serve as members of river authorities.
§ Mr. Graham PageI have been asked to reply to all of these questions.
The Northumbrian River Authority is responsible to my right hon. Friend for the execution of their functions under the Rivers (Prevention of Pollution) Acts of 1951 and 1961. To enable local authorities to suspend financial contributions to river authorities would disrupt the precepting system and make it impossible for river authorities to carry out their prevention of pollution duties. The responsibilities of members of river authorities who are appointed by local authorities are the same as those of the river authority as a whole. I see no need at this stage for a Departmental inquiry into the condition of the River Skerne, which I understand to be under active examination by the River Authority. The River Authority's register of consents to discharge into rivers in their area is open for inspection. My hon. Friend, the Joint Parliamentary Secretary—the hon. Member for Bury St. Edmunds (Mr. Eldon Griffiths)—will be writing more fully to the hon. Member, as he promised during the debate on the Consolidated Fund.