§ Dr. Kim HowellsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions he has had on the concept of making the polluter pay; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. TrippierIt is an important and well established part of the Government's environmental protection policy that the polluter, not the polluted, should pay. The United Kingdom also subscribe to OECD and European Community recommendations and practice in this respect.
§ Mr. Andrew F. BennettTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made in reducing the pollution levels in the rivers Don and Rother.
§ Mr. Howard[holding answer 4 December 1989]: Yorkshire Water is carrying out a major programme to upgrade and extend the main sewage treatment works which discharge into the rivers Don and Rother and to improve the sewerage system in Sheffield. This programme, combined with improvements to industrial effluent discharges is expected to improve river water quality by the mid 1990s.
The National Rivers Authority is responsible for monitoring river and estuarial quality, and for securing any improvements which they consider are needed to meet new statutory water quality objectives to be set by the Secretary of State.