§ Mr. Chris Smithasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Woolwich (Mr. Cartwright) of 25 March, Official Report, column 421, he will indicate the reasons for the difference in figures for the number of prosecutions for water pollution offences taken in 1984–85 by the Thames water authority and by the North-West water authority, respectively.
§ Mrs. RumboldDecisions on whether to prosecute in individual circumstances rest with the water authorities concerned. They depend upon a number of factors, including the severity of a particular incident and whether the source of pollution can be clearly identified. As my hon. Friend indicated in his previous reply, water authorities often prefer to adopt a policy of discussion and persuasion rather than instituting legal proceedings.