§ Sir Hector MonroTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will announce the results for 1988 of monitoring Scottish bathing waters in accordance with the European Council bathing waters directive; and if he will make a statement.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonMy Department's assessment of the results of the monitoring undertaken by the river purification boards in 1988 is set out in the table following, based on the standards for coliforms.
The results are disappointing compared with those in 1987, the first year in which waters were identified in terms of the EC directive. However, the monitoring in 1988 was more intensive, the minimum number of samples analysed for each water having been increased from 12 in 1987 to 20 in 1988. This is in consequence of the European Commission's strict interpretation of the directive: that unless at least 20 samples are taken in the season, a member state cannot establish the 95 per cent. necessary to discount a single failure.
The Government is aware of public concern about the quality of bathing waters and is determined that they should comply with the directive's standards as quickly as possible. To this end, my right hon. and learned Friend announced last November an additional allocation of £5.5
679Wmillion for water and sewerage in the last financial year and has increased the allocation for this year by some 14 per cent. over planned expenditure. This should allow the sewerage authorities to make faster progress towards compliance with the directive. I have also had discussions with Fife, Lothian and Strathclyde regional councils and some district councils about the quality of waters in their areas.
I have placed in the Library a paper which summarises the 1988 results and sets out the plans to improve the quality of those waters which do not comply with the directive. We shall also be sending the results to the European Commission.
Result Nairn (East Beach) Fail Cullen Pass Fraserburgh Fail Aberdeen Pass Montrose Pass Arbroath Fail Carnoustie Pass St. Andrew's (West Sands) Pass Kinghorn (Pettycur) Pass Aberdour (Silversands) Pass Gullane Pass North Berwick (Milsey Bay) Fail Yellowcraigs Pass Dunbar (Belhaven) Pass Pease Bay Pass Sandyhills Pass Girvan Fail Turnberry Fail Ayr (South Beach) Fail Prestwick Fail Troon (South Beach) Fail Irvine-Gailes (New Town) Fail Salcoats/Ardrossan (South Beach) Fail