§ Mr. Tony Lloydasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the beaches which are designated as bathing beaches for the purposes of European Community regulations on pollution.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe United Kingdom makes returns to the European Commission in respect of Directive 76/160/EEC concerning the quality of bathing waters for the following bathing waters:
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- Bournemouth
- Bridlington
- North Beach
- South Beach
- Christchurch
- Margate
- Newquay
- Fistral Beach
- Town Beach
- Paignton
- Broadsands
- Goodrington
- Paignton
- Penzance
- Sennen
- Poole
- Sandbanks
- Ryde
- St. Ives
- Porthmear
- Porthminster
- Sandown
- Esplanade
- Shanklin Beach
- Scarborough
- North Bay
- South Bay
- Southend
- Thorpe Bay
- Westcliffe Bay
- Swanage
- Torquay
- Meadfoot
- Oddicombe
- Torre Abbey
- Weston Super Mare
- Weymouth
§ Mr. Tony Lloydasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any information on the level of pollution affecting beaches not designated as bathing beaches.
§ Mr. WaldegraveIn order to obtain adequate information, the Government initiated the monitoring of over 350 bathing waters as described in the answer I gave to my hon. Friend, the Member for Leeds, North-West (Dr. Hampson) on 18 December last at columns223–228. The results will be available in late 1987 and will be published.
§ Mr. Tony Lloydasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what practical steps are being taken to improve the safety and quality of beaches with respect to pollution.
§ Mr. WaldegraveWater authorities in the United Kingdom have taken and are taking steps to improve the bacteriological quality of bathing waters. Often this requires the resisting of outfalls or of storm overflows, or the provision of additional treatment of sewage. Normally water authorities construct new or substantially altered outfalls so that the discharges do not bring adjacent bathing waters below the EEC directive's bacteriological standards. Over the last four years some 40 major schemes have been completed at a cost of £150 million and over the next five years some 80 schemes costing over £300 million will be under way or completed.
§ Dr. David Clarkasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to designate Blackpool as a bathing beach under the 1976 EEC directive.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe question whether to make returns to the European Commission on the qualities of more bathing waters (including Blackpool) is under consideration.
§ Dr. David Clarkasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from the EEC Commission about the number of British beaches being designated as such under the 1976 EEC directive.
§ Mr. WaldegraveI have received no correspondence from the EEC Commission about the number of bathing waters identified by the Government under directive 76/160/EEC. There have been requests from the Commission for information in respect of individual bathing waters which have been the subject of representations to the Commission.