HL Deb 27 November 1991 vol 532 cc86-7WA
Lord Brougham and Vaux

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What steps they have taken to protect the water environment from pollution by dangerous substances.

Baroness Blatch

Controls on discharges of dangerous substances to the water environment are exercised by the National Rivers Authority under the Water Act 1989 and by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Pollution under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Discharges must enable receiving waters to meet relevant environmental quality standards (EQSs). EQSs have already been set for 10 Red List substances: proposals for EQSs for the remaining Red List substances are set out in a consultation paper to be issued shortly, and copies of which I have placed in the Library today.