asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Minister for the Environment, Mr Phil Woolas MP, on 18 February (Official Report, Commons, 275W), whether the impact assessments on each draft river basin management plan will be carried out after the six-month consultations into them have finished; and, if so, when they expect those impact assessments to be published. [HL3052]

An impact assessment will accompany each draft river basin management plan and both will be subject to a six month consultation, scheduled to commence in late December 2008.