§ Lord Pearson of Rannochasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their estimate of the amount which the United Kingdom has spent or is committed to spend to comply with each European water directive currently in force; how much it has spent or is committed to spend during the period covered by those directives on water infrastructure and supply; and how much the other EU member states have similarly spent or are committed to spend.
Earl FerrersThe Director General of the Office of Water Services allowed £24,000 million of capital expenditure during the 10-year period from 1995 to 2005 (financial years), when he set price limits for the water and sewerage companies in England and Wales. Of this, £12,000 million was for the maintenance of assets and £1,000 million for improving water resources and to reduce the risk of flooding from sewers, and £11,000 million was for quality improvements in response both to national priorities and to the requirements of European Community Directives.
Many of the existing European water directives were agreed in the 1970s and 1980s and full information on spending is not available. Nor is it possible to separate historic costs associated with individual directives. Current best estimates for the most significant directives, though, are:
Bathing Water Directive: £2,000 million; and
Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive: £8,000 million.
The cost to the water industry in England and Wales of meeting the requirements of the Water Quality Regulations for drinking water between 1990–91 and 1994–95 was £2,600 million. Further improvements to the quality of drinking water planned for the period 1995–2005 would cost in the region of £3,900 million.
38WAWe do not have comprehensive information on expenditure by other member states to meet European Community directives.