HC Deb 18 June 1986 vol 99 cc551-2W
Mr. Gareth Wardell

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report for each water authority for each year since 1979, the lengths of class 3 (poor) and 4 (bad) rivers, in kilometres.

Mrs. Rumbold

The lengths of class 3 (poor) and 4 (bad) rivers are published each year by the water authorities in their annual reports, and collectively by the Water Authorities Association. My Department also publishes this information as part of its statistical publication, the "Digest of Environmental Protection and Water Statistics," as additional table F12, the latest version of which is reproduced.

River and canal water quality: bad and poor quality river length by water authority area: 1978–79—1984–85 England and Wales
River length classed as of bad or poor quality (km) All classified river length (km) Per cent. of all river length classed as of bad or poor quality
Anglian
1978–79 575 4,356 13.2
1979–80 424 4,351 9.7
1980–81 543 4,439 12.2
1981–82 514 4,441 11.6
1982–83 455 4,441 10.2
1983–84 467 4,446 10.5
1984–85 426 4,446 9.6

city action teams on the difficulty of obtaining insurance cover in inner city areas, including Lambeth, with a view to discussing the problem with the insurance industry.