§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about the extent of Her Majesty's Government's compliance with the signed agreement of the European convention on the standards of the water supply.
§ Mr. HowardPublic water supplies in the United Kingdom are at present of a very high standard and most supplies already comply with the European Community drinking water directive. We are fully committed to compliance with the European Community directive as soon as practicable. Those supplies which regularly fail to meet a standard are being improved and should comply in the next year or so. Water undertakers are currently submitting to the Department further improvement programmes concerning supplies where there is occasional non-compliance with the directive.
§ Mr. PatchettTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all water supplies in Yorkshire in breach of the European Economic Community directive on water quality in respect of safety limits on lead in drinking water; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Howard1 refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Don Valley (Mr. Redmond) on 23 March 1989 at columns775–76.