Dr. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in connection with his conclusions on the recommendation of the Working Party on Sewage Disposal, he can state when it is his intention to introduce legislation to give local authorities a wider discretion under recommendation 454 with regard to meeting the cost of connections to new main sewage schemes.
§ Mr. Eldon GriffithsNo, except that it will not be this Session. My hon. Friend is no doubt aware that local authorities already have a considerable measure of discretion under Section 13 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1953.
Dr. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in connection with his conclusions with regard to Recommendation 460 of the Working Party on Sewage Disposal, he will arrange for a survey of existing sewage outfalls in estuaries and coastal waters to ascertain which are satisfactory and which cause significant pollution of bathing places or damage to estuaries.
§ Mr. Eldon GriffithsVolume 2 of the River Pollution Survey, which will be published this summer, will give information about sewage outfalls to estuaries. The results of the survey of discharges of foul sewage to the sea will be published later and will provide information about sea outfalls. My right hon. Friend has already announced that control is to be extended to all discharges to estuaries, and has agreed that protection of the sea needs to be improved. We hope soon to start consultations on the action to be taken to implement these conclusions.