§ 45. Mr. KirkhopeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of rivers in England and Wales are of good or fair quality.
§ Mr. MoynihanI refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Taunton (Mr. Nicholson) on 14 December at column618.
§ 106. Mr. ConwayTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what further action he proposes to improve the quality of English rivers.
§ Mr. MoynihanThe Water Bill provides for the establishment of the new National Rivers Authority with strong powers for the protection and enhancement of the water environment. The Bill also contains proposals for a strengthened general framework for the control of water pollution through the introduction of statutory water quality objectives. Improved powers to establish water protection zones are included in the Bill along with new provisions designed to allow most stringent controls over discharges of the most dangerous "Red List" substances.
Other action in hand includes major programmes by the regional water authorities, costing in the region of £900 million to £1,000 million to bring sewage treatments works which are at present failing to meet discharge consent conditions into compliance by March 1992. Regulations are also being prepared to improve controls over three of the commonest sources of water pollution incidents—slurry, silage and oil stores.