The Earl of Dundonaldasked Her Majesty's Government:
What measures are being taken to eradicate sewage sludge dumping on the west coast of Scotland, in the light of various European Community directives and of their own commitment to reduce current levels of marine pollution.
§ The Minister of State, Scottish Office (Lord Fraser of Carmyllie)On 5th March 1990 the Government announced the decision to end the dumping of sewage sludge at sea as soon as possible and by the end of 1998 at the latest. This initiative was endorsed subsequently by the Third North Sea Conference, and the European Community Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, adopted in May 1991, makes similar provision.
Strathclyde Regional Council, the only sewerage undertaking currently dumping sewage sludge off the west coast of Scotland, awaits a report from consultants on options before deciding its strategy for sludge disposal when dumping at sea ceases in 1998 or earlier. Disposal is at present licensed by the Scottish Office Agriculture and Fisheries Department, subject to strict environmental conditions. The site is monitored and results are published periodically together with those for all UK sites.