HC Deb 15 November 1972 vol 846 cc139-40W
78. Mr. Dalyell

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what he is doing to measure and record the extent to which pollution is affecting estuaries;

(2) what consideration he is giving to problems of estuarial pollution, raised by the Third Report of the Royal Commission, in the light of the fact that under the proposed local government reorganisation some estuaries do not come under unified control;

(3) if he will send a circular to all local authorities, which have not already done

ANNUAL CAPITAL EXPENDITURE ON TRANSPORT
(£ million)
Rail Transport Road Transport
Year Vehicles Track, Machinery etc. Total Vehicles* Roads etc. Total
1962 … … 65 53 118 319 146 465
1963 … … 47 49 96 354 160 514
1964 … … 39 69 108 419 209 628
1965 … … 46 74 120 437 214 651
1966 … … 36 73 109 448 233 681
1967 … … 26 69 95 458 285 743
1968 … … 29 71 100 506 330 836
1969 … … 15 61 76 557 400 957
1970 … … 22 66 88 605 488 1,093
1971 … … 17 84 101 635 492 1,127
* Goods vehicles, buses and cars for business use.

so, requesting them to make an inventory of pollutant discharge into rivers;

(4) what plans he is making for the provision of additional technical staff to help local authorities combat pollution;

(5) what plans he has for an integrated policy for waste disposal, taking into account the needs of improving estuaries, as outlined by the Third Report of the Royal Commission;

(6) what action he is taking to make sure that pollutants, which are not likely to be rendered harmless by natural processes in esuaries, are abated before discharge into rivers or tidal waters.

Mr. Eldon Griffiths

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him earlier today in answer to a similar Question.

84. Mr. Hamling

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, what powers he will now take to establish river authorities throughout England and Wales with adequate powers to cure existing pollution and prevent future pollution.

Mr. Rippon

The Government have announced their intention to introduce suitable legislation the detailed provisions of which are still under discussion with the bodies affected.