asked the Minister for the Environment if he is aware of the financial difficulties facing many legitimate contractors involved in group water schemes as a result of delays in payment, even after certification by his Department's inspectors; the average payment period in such cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

I am, of course, concerned that contractors for group schemes should not be faced with financial difficulties through any undue delay on the part of my Department in processing grant payments and for that reason I have, within the past few weeks introduced revised internal procedures aimed at further speeding up payments. I should, however, mention that my Department are not a party to contracts between group trustees and contractors and I have no function in relation to payments by the groups to the contractors for work done by them on behalf of the group trustees.

In so far as the payment of State grants to the groups is concerned, instalments up to 90 per cent of the total amount of grants allocated are normally paid by my Department within three weeks of certification of expenditure by the local inspector. The final instalment of grants due can be paid of course when the scheme has been completed satisfactorily and domestic water supplies provided to individual members in respect of whom the grants are claimed.