§ Mr. HardyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the number of consents given to each water authority by each water authority to permit otherwise unlawful discharges into the water courses for which they are responsible during 1987–88.
§ Mr. Moynihan[holding answer 26 October 1988]: During the period 1 April 1987 to 31 March 1988, my Department has issued the following consents to water 540W authorities in England under the Control of Pollution Act 1974: Anglian 374; Northumbrian 33; North West 78; Severn Trent 178; Southern 29; South West 31; Thames 15; Wessex 52; Yorkshire 63.
Most of the consents issued, other than to Anglian and South West, were for new or previously unconsented storm and emergency overflows. Those issued to Anglian and South West Water were mainly a backlog of applications from the review of consents agreed in 1985 for implementing the Control of Pollution Act 1974. A number of the consents issued for sewage treatment contained less stringent conditions based on current performance, but generally only where there was no appreciable effect on the receiving waters. In a few cases, relaxed consents conditions have been issued pending planned capital investment. These consents are subject to early review.