Written question asked by Lord Onslow of Woking (Conservative), in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 13 March 1997. It was answered by Robert B Jones (Conservative) on Thursday, 13 March 1997 on behalf of the Department of the Environment.

Dept of the Environment

Question: What steps he is taking to ensure that the installation of turbines by electricity generating companies does not cause damage to migratory fisheries on (a) the River Leven and (b) other rivers in England and Wales.

Answer: Sir Cranley Onslow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to ensure that the installation of turbines by electricity generating companies does not cause damage to migratory fisheries on (a) the River Leven and (b) other rivers in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement. [19676] Mr. Robert B. Jones: Section 14 of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975--amended by schedule 15 of the Environment Act 1995--requires the owner or occupier of any mill, defined as including any erection for the purpose of developing water power, which diverts water from any watercourse frequented by salmon or migratory trout to place and maintain, at his own cost, a screen to prevent access to the intake by those fish. Such a screen is required to be so located and constructed that, so far as reasonably practicable, those fish are not injured or damaged by it. This obligation applies only where the intake channel was constructed after 18 July 1923. There are two abstractions on the River Leven for hydropower generation. Both intakes were constructed before 1923 and so are not covered by the screen obligation. Neither currently has screens in place, but the Environment Agency is well aware of the issue and is seeking agreement with the abstractor for the installation of suitable screens.

Secondary information