Ms Mary Gurrie:

The water framework directive requires that we meet water quality objectives for protected areas and that includes things like drinking water resources and habitats and the Natura sites. For example, a Natura site might need high quality water; that is the objective of that water body. The risk assessment takes that into account and recognises that the risk to those would be higher. On the national assessment the habitats are included under the WFD water quality and quantity element. Obviously, each individual licence would assess the impact on habitats under the normal process for licence applications.