§ Mrs. Ann WintertonTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will make a statement outlining the effect of BS 5502 on the future use of earth-banked slurry compounds;
(2) whether he has any plans to prohibit the use of earth-banked slurry compounds.
§ Mr. CurryThe Government have no plans to prohibit the use of earth-banked slurry compounds. The proposals for regulations issued by the Department of the Environment would set minimum constructional standards for new earth-banked compounds and other effluent containment facilities (which the National Rivers Authority could, by notice, extend to include existing facilities where there is a significant risk of pollution). These standards would be based on BS5502 which is a British standard code of practice for the design of buildings and structures for agriculture including earth-banked compounds. The effect of the proposed regulations should be that the facilities are designed and constructed to a standard which minimises the risk of pollution.