To ask the Secretary of State for Wales by which date he expects those non-EC identified beaches currently failing to comply with standard criteria to meet such criteria; what standard criteria it is his policy that they should meet, and what actions he is taking or encouraging to that end.

The Government's priority is to ensure compliance of bathing waters identified under the EC directive. However, the recent announcement by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment that all significant coastal and estuarial discharges of sewage will, as soon as practicable, receive treatment should have a beneficial effect on all our bathing waters.