Written question asked by Ray Powell (Labour) on Monday, 22 June 1998, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 25 June 1998. It was answered by Angela Eagle (Labour) on Thursday, 25 June 1998 on behalf of the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions.

Dept of the Environment Transport and the Regions

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what plans he has to restrict the use of water for irrigating crops. - Inc ref to The Review of the Water Abstraction Licensing System in England and Wales - consultation Paper.

Answer: Sir Raymond Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to restrict the use of water for irrigating crops. [47514] Angela Eagle: Under proposals set out in The Review of the Water Abstraction Licensing System in England and Wales--Consultation Paper which we published on 19 June, all forms of irrigation where water is moved from a source and applied to land would have to be licensed, unless the abstracted quantities are below a threshold amount which would be set to reflect the local water resource position. Currently, only abstraction for spray irrigation requires a licence.

Secondary information