§ Mr. SpearingTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what system of checks and inspections is used by the Commission of the European Economic Community in respect of compliance with directives concerning the quality of domestic water supplies; what information is supplied to it by member states on their water undertakings; and what comprehensive publication of performance is published by the Commission.
§ Mr. HowardNo inspections at first hand are carried out by the Commission to ensure that member states are complying with the drinking water directive. In the United Kingdom the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations116W made under the Water Act 1989 incorporate the provisions of the directive into national law and set out sampling requirements, the results of which will be made available to the public and to local authorities.
The Commission depends upon information submitted by member states themselves and also investigates complaints on alleged breaches of the directive made by members of the public. We have no knowledge as to information supplied by other member states, but the United Kingdom has always co-operated fully with the Commission. We have recently submitted an overview of the United Kingdom's national programme costing £1.4 billion over the next five years. I am not aware of any comprehensive publication of performance published by the Commission.