§ Mr. Geraint HowellsTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he last met the chairman of Welsh Water to discuss the purity of the drinking water in Wales; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Nicholas BennettMy right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales and for the Environment have jointly appointed the drinking water inspectorate to monitor and report to them on water company performance. The inspectorate's report to them of its first round of inspections, including that of Dwr Cymru, was published in July 1991 and confirmed that 99 per cent. of samples taken by Dwr Cymru met the stringent statutory requirements of the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 1989—SI 1989 No. 1147. A second round of inspections, during which Dwr Cymru is again being inspected, is ongoing and the results will be published later this year. My officials are, of course, regularly in contact with Dwr Cymru on various aspects of drinking water quality.