Water Pollution (Hansard, 15 October 1996)

§ Mr. Llew Smith
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many(a) major (b) significant (c) minor and (d) unsubstantiated water pollution incidents have been (i) notified and (ii) suspected in Wales in each year since the coming into force of the Water Resources Act 1991; how many prosecution have resulted arid what punitive or remedial action has been taken in each case. [40522]

§ Mr. Jonathan Evans
I refer the hon. Member to the annual reports published by the Environment Agency and its predecessor the National Rivers Authority on "Water Pollution incidents in England and Wales", copies of which are held in the Library of the House.

§ Mr. Smith
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on how many occasions since the coming into force of the Water Resources Act 1991 the environmental protection authorities in Wales have dropped a prosecution against an alleged polluter where the incident was notified during the investigation as a category 1 or category 2 case. [40523]

§ Mr. Evans
The policy of the Environment Agency and previously the National Rivers Authority is to prosecute category 1 pollution incidents where there is adequate evidence to support the case. The policy for category 2 incidents is less rigid and allows for the use of formal cautions or warning letters where appropriate. Information on prosecutions under the Water Resources Act 1991 that have been dropped by the authority and the agency is not held centrally.

§ Mr. Smith
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the meetings he has had in the past 12 months with the head of the Welsh region of the National Rivers Authority and the Welsh divisional office of the Environment Agency to discuss the effectiveness of the application of legislation to protect drinking water sources from pollution; and if he will indicate the outcome of each meeting. [40524]

§ Mr. Evans
Officials of the Environment Agency, and previously the National Rivers Authority, including the Welsh regional general manager, meet regularly with officials of the Welsh Office to discuss a range of matters relating to the functions of the agency and the authority. My right hon. Friend is advised on the carrying out of these functions by committees which have been established under section 6 of the Water Resources Act 1991 and section 11 of the Environment Act 1995 and annual reports are placed in the Library of the House.
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