WELSH BATHING BEACHES

That this House congratulates Welsh Water and the National Rivers Authority (Welsh Region) for bringing 45 of the 50 designated bathing beaches in Wales into compliance with the European Commission's Bathing Waters Directive during the 1991 summer season; notes with particular pleasure that all the beaches of Gower, that is, Rhossili, Port Eynon, Oxwich, Caswell, Langland and Bracelet, at Mumbles Head, passed; believes that particular attention should be drawn by the Wales Tourist Board to the cleanest beach in Wales, in terms of faecal coliforms, at Port Eynon, and the cleanest beach in Wales, in terms of total coliforms, at Rhossili; but also urges Welsh Water plc to speed up its plans to bring into compliance the beaches of Jackson Bay, Barry, Benllech Bay, Llandudno West Shore, Kinmell Bay, and above all Rhyl, which had the filthiest sample being the filthiest in Wales at a level of 50,000 per 100 ml. of water-five times the permitted European Commission level, and for faecal coliforms failing eight samples out of the 22 samples taken, with the filthiest sample being the filthiest in Wales at a level of 24,100 faecal coliforms per 100 ml. of water - more than 12 times the permitted European Commission level.