§ Mr. Gareth WardellTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether any patients in Wales have become ill as a result of drinking water containing nitrates at levels above that specified in EEC directives.
§ Mr. GristNo information is collected either by the Department or by district health authorities which would identify whether patients in Wales have become ill as a result of drinking water containing nitrates. The Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 1989 (SI 1989 No. 1147) incorporate the EC limits relating to nitrates and I am not aware of any case of excess being reported.
572WPlanned expenditure on publicity by public bodies for which my Department is responsible was about £8 million in 1989–90. Comparable figures for 1979–80 are not available.
The Department contributed to the cost of the sale of the 10 water authorities in 1989. The overall costs of this sale have been outlined in a response to my hon. Friend the Member for Dulwich (Mr. Bowden) by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment and Countryside.
§ Mr. DobsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what were the figures for the spending by his Department on(a) television advertising, (b) radio advertising, (c) newspaper advertising and (d) other promotional material in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his latest estimate for the current year and budget for 1990–91.
§ Mr. Peter Walker[pursuant to his reply, 12 March 1990, c. 14-16]: The table sets out corrected information:
§ Mr. Gareth WardellTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether there has been any cases in Wales whereby hepatitis E has been contracted from faecally-infected drinking water.