§ Paul FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research has been conducted on measures to deal with diffuse water pollution; and when she expects to bring forward proposals for legislation. [150964]
§ Mr. Morley[holding answer 30 January 2004]The Government have funded programmes of research on the sources, transport and control of diffuse water pollution from agriculture over the last decade. The programmes cover nitrate, phosphorous, sediment/soil erosion, pathogens and the potential implications of control measures for different pollutants. The total annual budget (in 2003–04) is £3 million. The results of this research are available on the Defra website (www.defra.gov.uk/ science). The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) has also published related work in its report "The impacts of agricultural environmental management: case studies from theory to practice", which is available on the SEPA website (www.sepa.org.uk/publications/index.htm).
769WThis year we intend to publish for consultation detailed proposals for new powers to prevent and control diffuse pollution in England, as part of the action to implement the Water Framework Directive referred to in the "Third Consultation Paper on the Implementation of the EC Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC)", published in August 2003. The extent to which such new powers might need to be used in the future will depend on how far diffuse pollution can be controlled through other potential policy instruments, including voluntary action and economic instruments.