§ Mr. Martyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many rivers in England and Wales have been identified as suffering from low flow due to over-abstraction; what percentage of those identified have had(a) short-term and (b) long-term solutions implemented to restore their natural flow; and if he will make a statement. [18015]
§ Mr. ClappisonIn 1990–91 the National Rivers Authority identified in England and Wales a total of 335 km of reaches in 40 rivers as having low flows and affected by water abstraction. Of those 40, nine have fully implemented solutions, nine have solutions in progress, eight have solutions identified, six continue to be investigated and eight have been found not to have problems due to abstraction. By March 1996, the total length of the affected reaches had been reduced by 207 km. The Environment Agency has targets to reduce this by a further 106 km by March 1999.