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Dept of the Environment Transport and the Regions

Answer

Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many discharges to water in excess of permitted limits have been identified by the Environment Agency for each month in 1997 to date; how many prosecutions have resulted; how many have been successful; how many are outstanding; and what penalties have been applied. [20649] Angela Eagle: [holding answer 15 December 1997]: Compliance data are collected quarterly by the Environment Agency. The number of discharges which have exceeded their consented limits in each of the first three quarters of 1997 are as follows: _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Numbers January-March 1,447 April-June 1,023 July-September 966 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. (The second and third quarter totals do not include figures for the Environment Agency's South West region.) Most discharges, on being notified of a failed sample, take prompt action to remedy matters. The Agency has brought seven prosecutions under section 85(6) of the Water Resources Act 1991 for breaches of consent which have occurred this year. Five were successful. The fines imposed ranged from £750 to £10,000. I shall write to the hon. Gentleman with details of the number of outstanding cases where the Agency has brought prosecutions in respect of such offences. Further to my answer to the hon. Gentleman on 8 December 1997, Official Report, column 422, thirteen prosecutions were taken in 1997 under section 85(6) in respect of breaches of consent which occurred in 1996 in addition to the prosecutions taken in 1996.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

20649; 303 c358-9W

Session

1997-98

Subjects

Environment Agency Pollution Prosecutions Water

Legislation

Water Resources Act 1991

Contains statistics

Yes