§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what ministerial permission has(a) been requested and (b) been granted for relaxation of STW discharge consents for South West Water; and what period of time they are to cover.
§ Mr. Howard[holding answer 6 June 1989]: On 7 December (Official Report, column 199) I announced a capital programme costing around £1 billion to bring sewage treatment works into compliance with their discharge consents by March 1992. Water authorities may apply for time limited consents for those works to regularise current performance and maintain the current river water quality while improvements take place.
Eighty three applications for such consents have been received from South West Water. A list of those sewage works for which these applications have been made has been placed in the Library of the House. None has yet been 174W granted. The capital works will generally be completed by March 1992. The time limited consents for any individual works will cover the period up until commissioning of the upgraded works. Thereafter consent conditions no less stringent than those which currently apply will be imposed.