Mr. Ted GarrettTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the progress of contracts to eliminate pollutants from the River Tyne, Wear and Tees.
§ Mr. MoynihanThe Northumbrian water authority is engaged in schemes for the Tyne and Tees aimed at securing improvements in water quality both through investment in new sewerage and sewage treatment facilities and by action to reduce the amounts of industrial and trade effluents discharged to rivers and sewers. As a result of recent improvements, the Tyne has now become one of our best salmon rivers. The authority is on course to meet its short term objectives for the river Tees by 1990—involving the elimination of visual nuisance and smell—although further major investment by the water authority and private industry will be needed to achieve longer-term aims related to the passage of migratory fish. The Wear estuary already meets its long term objectives although the authority plans further investment to replace unsatisfactory outfalls. However contractural arrangements on work for all three rivers are matters for the authority.