§ Mr. SteinbergTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what changes he proposes to make to the water abstraction licensing system in England and Wales. [46985]
§ Mr. MeacherTogether with the Welsh Office, my Department has prepared a consultation paper, setting out a wide range of proposals which will ensure that abstraction licensing and related arrangements in England and Wales provide full protection to the water environment while enabling fair and flexible measures for meeting properly managed demand for water resources. I shall place copies in the Library of the House tomorrow morning, coincident with the paper's publication.