§ Dr. GodmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what amount of sewage sludge has been discharged into the sea near the Firth of Clyde and elsewhere off the coast of Scotland in each of the past five years; what consultations have taken place concerning alternative methods of disposal; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir Hector MonroThe practice of discharging small quantities of sewage sludge from pipelines into coastal waters is only adopted in a few isolated areas where alternative arrangements are impracticable. It will be phased out completely by the end of 1998. Information is not held centrally about the small amount involved.
However, sludge dumping from ships, which will also be phased out by the end of 1998, accounts for some 75 per cent. of Scotland's sewage sludge disposal. The quantities involved are shown in the table.
Strathclyde regional council and Lothian regional council are the only Scottish authorities which dispose of sewage sludge by dumping at sea. Both have received consultants' reports on the options available to them after 1998. I understand that Lothian regional council is developing proposals based on incineration, whereas Strathclyde regional council favours land-based disposal routes involving agricultural land, forestry and land reclamation. Strathclyde regional council has embarked on a series of public awareness meetings to publicise its strategy.
Firth of Clyde tonnes Elsewhere tonnes 1988 1,755,633 249,330 1989 1,693,000 247,575 1990 1,671,500 272,105 1991 1,698,500 285,535 1992 1,686,000 298,525