HC Deb 22 October 1991 vol 196 c659W
Mr. Simon Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate what volume of sewage currently receives(a) primary treatment, (b) secondary treatment and (c) tertiary treatment in England and Wales before being discharged at coastal outfalls.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

Information is not held centrally in the form requested. However, in 1985, the latest year for which published information is available, approximately 319,000 cubic metres/day of sewage received primary or secondary treatment before being discharged to Scottish estuarine and coastal waters. For sewage discharges to all Scottish waters, based on population served by sewerage, some 24 per cent. received primary treatment, 44 per cent. received secondary treatment and 3 per cent. received tertiary treatment. Further details are in the technical report "Sewage Works and Discharges Archive Report 1987", produced by The Scottish Development Department, available in the Library.