HC Deb 24 November 1992 vol 214 c620W
Mr. Dafis

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what has been the total tonnage of(a) xylene, (b) benezene and (c) methyl ethyl ketone which has been released into water in Wales in each of the last five years; and if he will list the number of known instances of such discharges which have taken place in each year.

Mr. Gwilym Jones

This information is not held centrally. The consented volumes of discharges and the results of sampling of controlled waters undertaken by the National Rivers Authority are entered on to public registers maintained by the authority.

Mr. Dafis

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make representations to water authorities in Wales to secure that information on the monitoring of trade effluent consents and agreements concluded between industrial companies and the water authorities is made available to the general public.

Mr. Gwilym Jones

Under the Water Industry Act 1991 details of consents for discharges to sewers issued by sewerage undertakers are available for public inspection. Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 all controlled releases are subject to monitoring, upon which, as a condition of authorisation, data must be supplied to Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution, and placed on public registers.