§ Lord O'Haganasked Her Majesty's Government:
Who else, apart from the National Rivers Authority, is responsible for enforcing European Community law on water in the United Kingdom.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment (Lord Hesketh)The UK Government is bound to ensure that European Community law on water is enforced in the United Kingdom. In addition to the National Rivers Authority the bodies in England and Wales monitoring and carrying out functions under domestic legislation which implements, or is otherwise relevant, to the EC directives on water, are the local planning authorities and waste disposal authorities for groundwater and Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Pollution for some aspects of directive relating to the discharge of dangerous substances. My right honourable friends the Secretary of State for the Environment and the Secretary of State of Wales are responsible for ensuring that drinking water standards are met. They will be assisted by the Drinking Water Inspectorate, which will be established shortly. Local authorities in England and Wales have a continuing duty to monitor the quality of public and private water supplies in their areas.
n Scotland, responsibility for the quality of the water environment lies with the seven independent river purification boards and the three island councils. The Secretary of State regulates the island councils' discharges to water. District and islands councils have a duty to monitor the quality of public and private water supplies and to take steps to ensure that quality is improved, where necessary. They also undertake some functions relevant to implementation of the directive on groundwater.
n Northern Ireland, the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland has the responsibility for enforcing European Community law on water.