§ Mr. SpellerTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many permits have been issued for the piping or dumping of waste materials into the Bristol channel; how many of these are for industrial, chemical or nuclear waste; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. CurryThere are 14 current licences for the dumping of waste materials from vessels into the Bristol channel including the Severn estuary. Two of these involve sewage sludge and the rest dredged spoil.
Authorisations issued by my Department jointly with the Department of the Environment permitting the pipeline discharge of liquid radioactive wastes currently exist for nuclear power stations at Berkeley and Oldbury, which discharge into the Severn estuary, and at Hinkley Point, which discharges into the Bristol channel.
Other discharges of radioactive wastes are a matter for the Secretary of State for the Environment and the Secretary of State for Wales. Pipeline discharges of non-radioactive waste are a matter for the National Rivers Authority.