HC Deb 22 February 1990 vol 167 cc891-2W
Mr. Barron

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans for a major review of consent procedures in relation to discharges into rivers.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory

The NRA is already conducting a review of the way in which discharge consents for all types of discharge are set, and the way in which compliance with the terms of consent is assessed, to ensure that the consent system can effectively protect water quality and enable pollution control standards to be enforced. I await the NRA's conclusions with interest.

Mr. Barron

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will instigate an official inquiry into all discharges into the River Rother; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State does not consider that it would be appropriate for him to institute such an inquiry. This is a matter for the National Rivers Authority, which is under a statutory duty to review, from time to time, all consented discharges, and is responsible for securing such improvements as it considers will be needed to meet new statutory water quality objectives to be set up by the Secretary of State. I understand that major improvements to sewage and industrial discharges are already planned or under way which are designed to raise the quality of the River Rother.

Mr. Barron

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the breaches of consent relating to the discharges into the River Rother, and the number of prosecutions, since 1980 to the present time.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory

Details of all breaches of consent are available on the public register maintained by the National Rivers Authority. For information on prosecutions, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Don Valley (Mr. Redmond) on 18n January 1990, at column360.