§ Mr. Teddy TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what evidence he has of increased pollution of public water supplies by nitrates over the past 20 years; and what are the reasons for the increase;
(2) what evidence he has of the increased pollution of groundwater supplies by nitrates over the past 20 years; and if he will make a statement on the implications of this for public health policy.
§ Mr. Moynihan[holding answer, 19 April 1988]: In 1986, 152 groundwater sources occasionally or persistently contained nitrate concentrations exceeding 50 mg per litre, compared with approximately 90 in 1980 and 60 in 1970. The increased nitrate concentrations can be attributed to the substantial change in farming methods over the last few decades.
As a result of action by water undertakers, nitrate concentrations regularly exceed 50 mg per litre in only 50 public supplies though the concentrations are not considered unsafe by medical advisers. Nevertheless, the rising trend in some areas is a matter of concern and the Government are considering ways of tackling the problem.
§ Mr. Teddy TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment why he agreed to the European Community directive restricting nitrate pollution of water supplies to 50 mg; what expert advice was received from outside his Department on the health aspects of the issue; and what is the level now recommended by the World Health Organisation and other comparable bodies.
§ Mr. Moynihan[holding answer 19 April 1988]: The EC directive on the quality of water intended for human consumption was adopted in 1980. The nitrate standard was agreed because the figure of 50 mg of nitrate per litre had been recommended by the World Health Organisation as a guideline value since 1970, and medical experts in this country accepted that recommendation. Guideline values are intended to safeguard health, assuming life-long consumption at that value.
The World Health Organisation has since reviewed its guideline values for substances in drinking water and in 1984 published recommendations which included a revised value of 10 mg of nitrate as nitrogen per litre (equivalent to 44.6 mg of nitrate per litre). The apparent reduction from 50 mg of nitrate per litre to 44.6 mg per litre is of no medical significance.
§ Mr. Teddy TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his latest estimate of the number of public water supplies which exceed the 50 mg limit in relation to nitrate pollution; what will be the cost of bringing these supplies within the directive; and what is the body responsible for paying such costs.
§ Mr. Moynihan[holding answer 19 April 1988]: Fifty public water supplies are estimated to contain nitrate concentrations above 50 mg per litre. The Department is 497W currently seeking information on how much it would cost water undertakers to comply with the EC drinking water directive limit for nitrate.
§ Mr. Teddy TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the implications of the Single European Act provisions on the responsibilities for pollution in relation to Government policy; how these are determined; and if consideration has been given to the allocation of the cost of preventing nitrate pollution.
§ Mr. Moynihan[holding answer 19 April 1988]: The Single European Act introduced changes to the treaty of Rome. Among these is a new chapter on the environment. This lays down broad objectives in the area of environmental protection. It also confirms the principles of preventive action, that environmental damage should as a priority be rectified at source, and that the polluter should pay. However, the Act does not have specific implications for Government responsibilities; rather, it serves as a platform for the production of further Council legislation, which will be more specific in its terms.
The articles in the new environment chapter (Articles 1308, 1305 and 130T) now provide the usual legal base for environmental measures. These articles proceed on the basis of unanimity, at least in the first instance.