§ Dr. GodmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to ensure that local authorities have the resources to maintain accurate information on pollution levels on beaches.
§ Lord James Douglas-Hamilton[holding answer 19 June 1990]: The monitoring of the quality of bathing waters identified under directive 76/160/EEC is the responsibility of the river purification boards. The boards are funded by precept on the regional councils in their areas and their funding already takes account of the need to maintain accurate information for this purpose. I believe that the boards will be willing to transmit their monitoring results free of charge to local authorities.
§ Dr. GodmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what measures he is taking to arrange for the display of information on beaches to show accurately the level of pollution recorded for such beaches; and if he will make a statement.
§ Lord James Douglas-Hamilton[holding answer 19 June 1990]: I wrote on 15 June to the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to seek the participation of local authorities in a voluntary scheme to display, in a standard form and at locations convenient to the public, the results of the monitoring of bathing waters identified under directive 76/160/EEC. The Government believe in making information on the environment more freely and easily available and I hope that the local authorities will be able to help in this way.