To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many tonnes of sewage sludge will be dumped at sea by each of the water authorities in England and Wales in each year to 1998.

It is impossible to estimate.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what weights of sewage sludge have been dumped in or off (a) the Bristol channel and (b) Liverpool bay each year since 1979; what licences he expects to issue before the end of 1998; and what weights of sewage sludge are covered under each licence.

The amounts of sewage sludge dumped in the Bristol channel and Liverpool bay each year since 1979 are as follows. About 95 per cent. of the weight is water.

tonnes, wet weight
	Bristol Channel	Liverpool Bay
1979	358,280	1,653,521
1980	482,000	1,759,883
1981	328,040	1,692,680
1982	319,880	1,642,410
1983	230,145	1,299,200
1984	305,200	1,282,800
1985	262,513	1,498,973
1986	257,405	1,541,456
1987	237,956	1,626,036
1988	273,609	1,628,937
1989	306,414	1,645,609

Licences are currently held as follows:

		Licensed tonnage (wet weight)
Bristol Channel	Wessex Water	300,000
	Welsh Water	55,000
Liverpool Bay	North West Water	1,970,000

I have announced that the Government intend to terminate sea disposal of sewage sludge as soon as possible, and at the latest by the end of 1998. Licence holders will be required to develop and implement plans for alternative disposal methods and a prediction of future disposals is not therefore practicable.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many tonnes of sewage sludge were dumped at sea by each of the water authorities in England and Wales in each year since 1979.

The information will take a little time to prepare, and will be supplied as soon as possible.