§ Sir Raymond Gowerasked the Secretary of State for Wales what recent consultations he has had with the Welsh water authority concerning emergency measures needed to protect hospitals, institutions for the elderly and disabled, farmers, horticulturalists and owners of garden-centres and to deal with the needs of industry and employment, particularly in south-east Wales; and if he will specify such emergency measures.
§ Mr. Wyn RobertsThe Welsh Office has been kept fully informed of the water supply situation in the Welsh water authority area and we ate making the appropriate Orders under the Drought Act 1976. The area of main concern is south-east Wales where the Welsh water authority has set up a drought liaison committee to consider the various emergency measures required, by the authority in consultation with the organisations likely to be affected. Provisional arrangements have been made for a further meeting of the drought liaison committee before the beginning of September when the authority considers that, if the dry weather continues, it will become necessary to reduce consumption to about half of normal by shutting off supplies to domestic consumers for up to 17 hours a day and for industry and other special caegories of consumers to make similar savings in their use of water.