HL Deb 10 March 1997 vol 579 c11WA
Lord Marlesford

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many licences for the abstraction of water from bore holes and rivers respectively have been granted since the Environment Agency came into existence and how many are outstanding.

The Minister of State, Department of the Environment (Earl Ferrers)

Since taking up its duties on 1 April 1996, the Environment Agency has granted some 740 abstraction licence applications in respect of groundwaters and some 750 in respect of rivers. The approximate numbers of applications in each respect which are at present outstanding are, respectively, 360 and 560.