§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many discharges to water in excess of permitted limits were422W identified by the Environment Agency in 1996; how many prosecutions resulted; how many were successful; and what penalties were applied. [18683]
§ Angela Eagle[holding answer 4 December 1997]: The number of discharges which exceeded their consented limits in 1996 was 3,448. Inevitably, this headline figure disguises a considerable range of cases from marginal exceedances to substantial failures. The Agency brought 18 prosecutions under section 85(6) of the Water Resources Act 1991 for breaches of consent in 1996. All were successful and the fines imposed ranged from £450 to £10,000. However, the majority of prosecutions brought by the Agency are for the general offence of causing water pollution under section 85(1) of the 1991 Act. Some of these cases may also be attributable to a consented discharge. One of the reasons for the low number of prosecutions in relation to breaches of consent is that, on being notified of a failed sample, most dischargers take prompt action to remedy matters. In other cases, the Environment Agency may issue a formal caution.