§ Mr. Cordleasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many people are employed by the Wessex Regional Water Authority; and how this compares with the numbers employed by the former constituent water authorities at the time immediately before reorganisation.
§ Mr. Denis HowellI understand that the number of people employed by the Wessex Water Authority is 2,290.
On water supply, the total number of staff employed before reorganisation by predecessor authorities was 790 and the number employed by river authorities was 563.
It is not possible to give a figure for staff formerly employed on sewage disposal, since such staff were frequently also employed on other sewerage functions, which are still carried out on an agency basis by local authorities.