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Drains and Sewers (Maintenance Responsibility)

Mr. Spearing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which bodies have a duty to ensure that the structure and operation of all drains and sewers, hitherto in public ownership, are maintained to a standard that minimises the risks to public and environmental health; who issues standards for those operations; how they are monitored; and which bodies are charged with monitoring the contents of sewage effluent with particular reference to changes in the volumes of bacteria or viruses prejudicial to human and animal health. [20021]

Mr. Clappison: All sewerage undertakers have a statutory responsibility, enforceable by the Secretary of State or the Director General of Water Services, to maintain all public sewers to ensure their area is effectually drained. No trade effluent may be discharged to a public sewer without the consent of the sewerage undertaker who may impose strict conditions on the discharge. It is an offence if such a discharge is made to the sewer without consent or any other matter

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is discharged which may be dangerous, a nuisance or likely to cause injury to health. Responsibility for any public health matters arising from sewers initially rests with the environmental health department of the local authority.

Single Regeneration Budget

Mr. Congdon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the bidding guidance for round 4 of the single regeneration budget challenge fund will be published. [20310]

Mr. Curry: The guidance will be published in due course.

Tree Preservation Orders

Sir Irvine Patnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many tree preservation orders have been served throughout the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [20187]

Mr. Clappison: The information requested is not held centrally. Responsibility for making tree preservation orders rests with local planning authorities.

Cryptosporidium

Mrs. Helen Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many incidents relating to cryptosporidium in drinking water are awaiting assessment and report by the drinking water inspectorate;[20088]

(2) if he will list the incidents by water company and date relating to cryptosporidium in drinking water reported to the drinking water inspectorate since 1 January 1993. [20089]

Mr. Clappison: Water companies in England and Wales are required to report all incidents in which drinking water quality might be affected. All incidents are investigated by the drinking water inspectorate. Most incidents are relatively minor happenings.

The most significant risk to drinking water quality is the presence of cryptosporidium oocysts. On cryptosporidium, the notification to the inspectorate can relate either to the detection of cryptosporidium oocysts in treated water, or to an increase of the illness cryptosporidiosis in the community, or both. The transmission of the illness occurs in a number of ways and often through contact with animals. One recent outbreak of cryptosporidiosis was found to be associated with the failure of a milk pasteurisation plant. The source of any outbreak has to be established through epidemiology.

A case of South West Water Services Ltd. allegedly supplying water unfit for human consumption during 1995 because of cryptosporidium is currently before the courts.

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Notifications of events involving cryptosporidium since 1 January 1993 are listed under three headings together with the status of the investigation. It should be noted that not all notifications become confirmed as incidents.

Cryptosporidium oocysts detected in treated water but no reported increase of cryptosporidiosis in the community

Water company area	Date	Location	Status
Yorkshire Water	5 January 1995	Huby WTW	concluded
Yorkshire Water	16 March 1995	Fixby WTW	concluded
Essex and Suffolk	30 March 1995	Ormsby WTW	concluded
Yorkshire Water	31 August 1995	Cottingham adit	concluded
Yorkshire Water	13 September 1995	Kepwick Springs WTW (in raw water)	concluded
South West Water	13 September 1995	Parracombe WTW	concluded
Yorkshire Water	5 January 1996	Elvington WTW	concluded
Yorkshire Water	10 January 1996	Elvington WTW	concluded
Yorkshire Water	15 January 1996	Kepwick Springs WTW	concluded
South West Water	29 May 1996	Littlehempston	concluded
Cambridge Water	30 May 1996	Duxford/Linton	concluded
South West Water	27 June 1996	Crown Hill WTW	concluded
Mid Kent Water
Southern Water	3 July 1996	Burham WTW	concluded
Yorkshire Water	17 October 1996	Elvington WTW (raw water only)	under investigation
Northumbrian Water	22 October 1996	Lumley WTW	under investigation
Yorkshire Water	21 February 1997	Pateley Bridge	under investigation
Cambridge	12 March 1997	St. Ives	under investigation
Cambridge	12 March 1997	Horse Heath	under investigation

An increase in cryptosporidiosis in the community by oocysts not detected in treated water

Water company area	Date	Location	Status
Wessex Water	April 1993	Poole	under investigation
Yorkshire Water	11 June 1993	Gilstead (Shipley/Bingley)	under investigation
Northumbria	15 June 1993	Sherburn	Concluded
North West	April 1994	Chorley	Concluded
North East	25 January 1996	Sunderland	under investigation
Yorkshire Water	21 March 1996	Tophill Low	under investigation
Anglian Water	12 February 1997	Bedford area	under investigation
Three Valleys Water	26 February 1997	Luton/Dunstable	under investigation

Both oocysts detected in treated water and an increase of cryptosporidiosis in the community

Water company area	Date	Location	Status
South West Water	12 August 1995	Torbay/ Littlehempston	being prosecuted
North West Water	29 April 1996	The Wirral	under investigation
Portsmouth Water	18 November 1996	Itchen WTW	under investigation
Three Valleys Water	2 March 1997	Clay Lane WTW	under investigation
Three Valleys Water	2 March 1997	Welwyn	under investigation

No incidents relating to cryptosporidium other than those listed are awaiting assessment or report.

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Mrs. Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the drinking water inspectorate will report on the Shipley/Bingley incident of cryptosporidium in drinking water on 11 June 1993. [20090]

Mr. Clappison: The investigation by the drinking water inspectorate of this incident is continuing. As is standard practice, as part of its investigations, the inspectorate is considering whether there is a case for prosecuting Yorkshire Water plc, under section 70 of the Water Industry Act 1991, for the alleged offence of supplying water unfit for human consumption.

Mrs. Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions he has had with the Office of Water Supply regarding compensation to be paid to the customers affected by the cryptosporidium incident in the area of the Three Valleys Water Company. [20094]

Mr. Clappison: None. The drinking water inspectorate has commenced a full investigation to establish whether the recent outbreak of cryptosporidiosis is linked to the water supply. After this investigation is completed, the Director General of Water Services will consider whether there is any case for compensation.

Water Meters

Mrs. Helen Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of the cost of the free installation of water meters was paid for by (a) increased domestic customer charges and (b) shareholders in 1996. [20091]

Mr. Clappison: This is a matter for the Director General of Water Services who informs me that in setting price limits at the 1994 periodic review he allowed for the costs of metering to be met by metered customers, other than the costs of excavation for meter boxes. This did not have a significant effect on price limits. Price limits have not been increased to allow for the subsequent introduction by some companies of a free meter space and these costs are therefore met by the shareholders, at least until new price limits are set.

Mrs. Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultation the Office of Water Supply has held with non-metered householders about the costs to them of free meter installation. [20093]

Mr. Clappison: Since price limits were set by the Director General of Water Services in 1994, he informs me that there have been no costs to unmeasured household customers associated with companies' subsequent introduction of free meter installation. The director has not therefore specifically consulted about this. Ofwat liaises on a day to day basis with its 10 customer service committees about matters affecting customers.

Mrs. Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much was spent by water companies in 1996 on (a) the installation of and (b) the administrative costs of household metering. [20092]

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Mr. Clappison: This is a matter for the Director General of Water Services, who informs me that this information is not available in the form requested.

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