§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many businesses have been prosecuted successfully since 1990 for violating environmental standards in(a) the West Midlands and (b) the United Kingdom. [43223]
§ Angela EagleThis information is not held centrally. The Environment Agency took on responsibility for managing and regulating the water environment and controlling industrial pollution and wastes in England and Wales on 1 April 1996. Between then and 31 March 1998, it undertook 1,233 successful prosecutions, of which 229 were in its Midlands region. Local authorities and other bodies also have responsibility for enforcing some environmental controls.