§ Mr. O'BrienTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what additional resources and help he is offering to local authorities to help them fulfil the duties and responsibilities in the proposed regulations on the monitoring of private water supplies; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BaldryMost of the expenditure incurred by local authorities as a consequence of the proposed regulations on private water supplies will relate to the sampling and analysis of the supplies. The proposals provide for local authorities to recover through charges the costs they will incur for sampling and analysis at the prescribed frequencies. The additional costs to local authorities of carrying out their enforcement activities under section 57 of the Water Act 1989 were taken into account in the increase in total standard spending which we have allowed for in next year's revenue support grant settlement.
Once the Private Water Supplies Regulations have been made, a departmental circular will be issued to provide advice and assistance to local authorities in carrying out their functions in relation to private water supplies. A draft of this circular forms part of the consultation paper recently published. Guidance to local authorities will also be available from the drinking water inspectorate in the form of a technical booklet.