To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what responses he has made to date to the EU draft framework directive on water resources issued in February. [40407]

In December 1995 the Environment Council adopted a set of conclusions on European Community water policy which, amongst other things, invited the European Commission to present a communication on the subject. The communication was issued on 21 February, and the Commission proposes to bring forward a framework directive on water resources in due course. The Government submitted an explanatory memorandum to the European Scrutiny Committee on 16 April.