§ Mrs. Ann TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what is his Department's total budget for carrying out research into the health risks of bathing in sewage-contaminated water in(a) the 1990 bathing season and (b) the 1991 bathing season;
(2) what is his policy in respect of establishing a dose-response relationship between the level of sewage pollution of United Kingdom bathing waters and the risks of contracting swimming-associated ailments; and what is the shortest time in which this could be achieved;
(3) what assessment he has made of the most likely microbiological agents responsible for swimming-associated gastroenteritis due to sewage pollution of bathing waters; and if these agents were (a) analysed and (b) found to be present in specimens taken from volunteers in the Langland bay study;
262W(4) what assessment he has made of the total cost of establishing a dose-response relationship between the level of sewage pollution of United Kingdom bathing waters and risks of contracting gastroenteritis and other swimming-associated ailments by (a) the healthy volunteer method, and (b) the methods used by the United States Environmental Protection Agency;
(5) when he will be making public the full results of his Department's preliminary research into the health risks of bathing in sewage-contaminated water conducted in Langland bay in 1989.
§ Mr. TrippierThe cost of the study at Langland bay in 1989 was £155,000. of which the Government contributed £135,000. The report of the study is expected soon, and copies will be placed in the Library. We are considering what follow-up work is required.
§ Mrs. Ann TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the relationship between risks experienced by healthy adult volunteer swimmers of bathing in sewage-contaminated water and those experienced by children.
§ Mr. TrippierChildren were not included in the healthy volunteer study.