§ Mr. William RossTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether, when planning permission is sought for any development which might lead to the pollution of any lake, river, stream or reservoir in Northern Ireland, the quality of such water is assessed before the development takes place; whether the maintenance of water quality is taken into account in deciding whether planning permission is granted; and whether procedures differ in respect of water which does not before development meet the standards laid down in European directive 78/659/EEC and waters which do.
§ Mr. Needham[holding answer 26 February 1988]: Any development from which a discharge to a waterway may contain polluting materials requires a consent under the Water Act (Northern Ireland) 1972 and the conditions attached to such consent are designed to ensure that the discharges will not cause pollution. The conditions attached to discharges to salmonid waters are designed to ensure that the standards of these waters, which are regularly monitored, will continue to comply with the standards laid down in European directive 78/659/EEC.