§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the division of responsibilities between the Environment Agency regional offices in Wales and the midlands for the monitoring of the Severn Trent water authority. [13317]
§ Mr. Jonathan EvansI refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Mid-Staffordshire (Mr. Fabricant) by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment on 19 July 1995 at columns1431–32. The recommendations of the Environment Agency advisory committee on regional boundaries were placed in the Library of the House. In accordance with those recommendations the Environment Agency has drawn up a memorandum of understanding on inter-regional operating arrangements between its Welsh and Midland regions and this has been agreed with the Welsh Office.