asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many applications his office has received from the Welsh water authority for storm water overflows to be diverted into the public sewers; and how many have been approved.

The water authority is not required to seek my right hon. Friend's consent for the connection of storm water overflows to public sewers.

When the current dispute in the water industry is over, will the Secretary of State investigate the adequacy of the Welsh water authority's assessment of the action necessary to stop raw sewage flooding into the homes of my constituents in Clydach?

We shall not have to wait until the end of the current dispute, because I understand that short-term alleviation has been undertaken and a thorough investigation to decide the optimum measures for improvement is being put in hand by the Welsh water authority's sewarage agent, which is the Lliw valley borough council.