§ Mr. EvansTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on pollution in the River Ribble. [56690]
§ Mr. MeacherThe most up-to-date water quality classification for the River Ribble is based on chemical monitoring of the river between 1998 and 2000. From this chemical monitoring, the upper reaches of the River Ribble from High Bridge to Settle Wastewater Treatment Works (WwTW), a distance of 26.7 km, are classified as very good quality—General Quality Assessment (GQA) class A. Downstream of Settle WwTW to the freshwater limit at Samlesbury, a distance of 70.7 km, the River Ribble is classified as good quality—GQA class B.
Biological monitoring in 2000 indicated that the quality of the upper and middle reaches of the River Ribble between High Bridge and Clitheroe WwTW, a distance of 66 km, is very good (class A). Between Clitheroe WwTW and the River Calder, a distance of 4.0 km, the biological quality is good (class B). Below the confluence with the River Calder to the freshwater limit, a distance of 27.4 km, the biological quality is fairly good (class C).