§ Mr. MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from water and sewerage companies to vary the dates for the achievement of targets set by the European Union municipal waste water treatment directive with respect to(a) inland sewerage treatment works and (b) storm sewer overflows and establishment of guidelines for flexibility of capital expenditure between the two.
§ Mr. AtkinsThe Government made clear in "Water Charges: The Quality Framework" published in October 1993 that some modification of the urban waste water treatment directive, particularly the deadlines, was desirable. The European waste water group, an alliance of private and public sector operators of waste water treatment plants in the United Kingdom and some other member states, has also recommended to the European Commission that the time scale for implementation of this directive should be re-examined so as to ensure that the rate of change in charges is sustainable by the customer. The distribution of capital expenditure is a matter for the water companies subject to the various requirements of the directive and the overall price limits set by the Director General of Water Services.