To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the likely effect on levels of greenhouse gas emissions of the designation of the River Humber as a sensitive area under the EU urban waste water treatment directive; and if he will make a statement. (280779)

Yorkshire Water estimates (based on United Kingdom Water Industry Research Limited, Greenhouse Gas workbook) that designation will increase carbon dioxide equivalents by 380 kilotonnes during construction and 125 kilotonnes per year through operations.

Severn Trent Water estimates an increase of between 100 and 150 kilotonnes of carbon dioxide per year, a 20 to 30 per cent. increase on current emissions. Additional emissions from Anglian Water will be much smaller.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the costs which would be incurred if the River Humber were to be designated as a sensitive area under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive; and if he will make a statement. (280780)

If the UK was required to designate the Humber as sensitive to eutrophication, industry has estimated the capital cost of additional treatment to be approximately £900 million, with operating costs of approximately £50 million a year.