§ Mr. Ian BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information is made available by the Government on the disposal of urban waste water and sludge. [30110]
§ Mr. Robert B. JonesEnvironment Ministers have today issued a leaflet on sewage collection, treatment and disposal in the United Kingdom. The leaflet is in the Department of the Environment series of "One World" information sheets. It describes on-going and major new initiatives on sewage treatment in the UK, and the investment programme which is involved, in order to ensure that we safeguard and build on our successes in protecting and improving the water environment.
The UK's extensive and effective systems for the continuous collection and treatment of sewage play an essential part in the management and improvement programmes, promoted by our pollution control authorities, for our inland and coastal waters. The £9,000 million investments by the UK water industry since 1989 on sewage collection and treatment services have made significant contribution to improvements in our inland and coastal waters. For example, between 1990 and 1994 there has been a net upgrading of over 26 per cent. of the total length of rivers and canals surveyed in England and Wales.
The leaflet is being disseminated to the public in the UK through local authorities and libraries and the relevant pollution control authorities.
I am placing copies of the leaflet in the House Library.