Pollution (Hansard, 7 July 1988)

§ 29. Mr. Cummings
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he next hopes to meet representatives of the farming unions to discuss pollution issues; and if he will make a statement.

§ 70. Mr. Ingram
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he next plans to meet representatives of the farming unions to discuss pollution issues; and if he will make a statement.

§ 83. Mr. McKelvey
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions he is having with the National Farmers Union about reducing pollution in fresh water arising from agricultural activities.

§ Mr. MacGregor
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given earlier today to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Attercliffe (Mr. Duffy).

§ 74. Mr. Boyes
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about farm pollution incidents in the Yorkshire water authority region in 1987.

§ Mr. Gummer
The numbers of farm pollution incidents rose by over one third in the Yorkshire water authority region between 1986 and 1987. Although the number of serious cases in the region showed a decline over the same period, there is no room for complacency. Grant aid to help with projects for waste disposal has been increasingly taken up in recent years and this has proved helpful, but the whole industry must take even more seriously the effect of pollution on the environment. The Government will shortly be announcing some new measures which should help reduce the number of pollution incidents.

§ 81. Ms. Walley
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about farm pollution incidents in the Severn-Trent water authority region in 1987.

§ Mr. Gummer
Farm pollution incidents in the Severn Trent water authority region increased by 19 per cent. last year with the number of serious cases up from 92 in 1986 to 130 in 1987. The number of cases brought before the courts also rose from 12 to 54. I fully support the more active policy being followed by the water authority of bringing such offenders to book. The polluting farmer damages his neighbours as well as the watercourse, and 731W undoes all the good which their proper management of farm waste achieves. The Government will shortly be announcing some new measures which should help reduce the number of such incidents.