§ Mrs. Helen JacksonTo ask the Secretary of state for the Environment (1) how much notice water companies are required to give to the public of an application for a drought order; [10849]
(2) what provisions govern the publicity given to an application for a drought order. [10850]
§ Mr. ClappisonApplicants for drought orders are required under schedule 8 to the Water Resources Act 1991 to serve notices on a range of specified persons and cause notice of the application to be published in one or more local newspapers and in theLondon Gazette.
§ Mrs. JacksonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 4 December,Official Report, columns 10–11, what is the latest position in respect of drought orders (a) applied for, (b) under consideration, (c) refused, (d) agreed and (e) withdrawn, by region. [10851]
§ Mr. ClappisonThe figures since August 1995 by National Rivers Authority regions are as follows:
(a) (b) (c) (d) (e) Northumbria and Yorkshire 30 2 0 24 4 North-west 26 2 0 24 0 South Western 15 5 0 7 3 Southern 4 0 0 4 0 Severn Trent 3 0 0 3 0 Thames 0 0 0 0 0 Anglian 0 0 0 0 0
§ Mrs. JacksonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultation with other statutory or voluntary agencies is required before a water company makes applications for a drought order. [10852]
§ Mr. ClappisonThe proceedings on applications for drought orders, as set out in schedule 8 to the Water Resources Act 1991, require the applicant to cause notice to be served on the National Rivers Authority and every local authority, other than county councils, and water undertaker whose area would be affected by the order. It is the Department's practice to consult both the NRA and English Nature on each application.