HC Deb 02 June 1997 vol 295 cc44-5W
Mr. Ancram

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is his policy on the abstraction of water from rivers; and what steps he is taking to protect vulnerable rivers from damage from lower flows of water as a consequence of abstraction. [1282]

Angela Eagle

Abstraction of water from rivers is subject to licensing requirements, set out in Chapter II of the Water Resources Act 1991 and administered by the Environment Agency. The Government announced on 19 May 1997 its intention to review the water abstraction licensing system, with a key aim of ensuring that the needs of the environment are given due weight.

The Environment Agency currently has targets to alleviate low flows in 36 kilometres of rivers in 1997–98 and in a further 32 kilometres in 1998–99.