§ Mr. Spriggsasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set up an investigation to establish (a) the extent waste dumping and raw sewage outfall are polluting the River Mersey, (b) which areas of the foreshore are most affected and (c) what it would cost to clean up those areas of the foreshore in most urgent need of attention.
§ Mr. Giles ShawNo. This is a matter for the North-West water authority. Its most recent report on "A cleaner Mersey—the way forward" was published last September and a copy will be placed in the Library. I understand that the estimated cost of improving water quality in the estuary is £150 million at 1979 prices, of which about £90 million should be spent on cleaning up the affected foreshores on the Wirral and Liverpool banks.