asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of the water supply in the Yorkshire and Humberside region can be described as falling below the standard laid down by the European Economic Community.

About one third of the water supplied by the Yorkshire water authority falls below the standard laid down in the EC drinking water directive. This proportion will be substantially reduced in the next few years. A further 12 per cent. is softened at times below the minimum specified in the directive to ensure compatibility with naturally soft water from Pennine sources. Information is not available for the Yorkshire and Humberside region, as the economic region and the water authority areas differ.