§ Mr. Greg Knightasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is satisfied with the standard of sewage works discharges and with the effectiveness and methods of sampling water quality in rivers.
§ Mr. MoynihanMy right hon. Friend is not satisfied with the standard of sewage works discharges. Some 1,000 sewage works in England and Wales fail to meet their statutory consent conditions and Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Pollution will be asking the water authorities to consider how they will remedy their present breaches of those conditions.
My right hon. Friend is aware that problems with the assessment of river water quality became apparent from the 1985 river quality survey. He has arranged for the methodology of the survey to be reviewed, bearing in mind the recommendations of the Environment Committee in its report "Pollution of Rivers and Estuaries" (House of Commons 183). The Department will be discussing with the water industry the improvements that might be made.