Previous Section Back to Table of Contents Lords Hansard Home Page

Waste Management

Lord Vinson asked Her Majesty's Government:

The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker): A local authority will decide whether or not to prosecute an individual based on its local enforcement policy and the evidence and circumstances of the individual case.

The Government have not issued any guidance to local authorities in this regard.

Water Supply: Directives

Lord Pearson of Rannoch asked Her Majesty's Government:

The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker): Water supply and sewerage services are devolved matters, so I will confine my reply to England and Wales, which use the same regulatory frameworks. The urban wastewater treatment directive was adopted by the Council of the European Communities in May 1991; its implementation would not have incurred any expenditure prior to this date.

Since privatisation the water industry has invested more than £55 billion (between 1990 and 2004-05) in water and wastewater services, asset maintenance, environmental improvements, and securing supply and service improvements. This is an average annual capital investment in the water industry of more than £3.7 billion over the past 15 years. During the 1980s, the equivalent investment figure was £2 billion per year.

Around £26.5 billion of the investment which has taken place since privatisation is directly related to sewerage service and water quality improvements. Because expenditure often meets multiple objectives, however, it is not possible separately to distinguish the expenditure needed to meet individual European directives.


Back to Table of Contents Lords Hansard Home Page