§ 11. Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his latest preparations for the Stockholm conference.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerThe official report entitled "The Human Environment: the British View" was published on 8th May.
"Sinews for Survival", the first of the reports of the four working parties set up to assess public opinion was published on 9th May.
"Nuisance or Nemesis", the second report on pollution, is being published today. The others will follow shortly.
§ Mr. DalyellWhat are the Government doing to solve the vexed problem of East German representation?
§ Mr. WalkerThis is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and a matter which the United Nations is taking up.
§ Mr. CroslandNevertheless it is a matter which should be of great concern to the right hon. Gentleman. I hope he is bringing to bear on his right hon. Friend all the pressure he can on this question. Is he aware that one of the four reports he mentioned, "Sinews for Survival", made a distinct obeisance to the currently fashionable anti-growth views? I very much hope that his speech at Stockholm will not reflect that, or he will rightly receive a rough reception from the developing countries.
§ Mr. WalkerI hope that Opposition right hon. and hon. Members will recognise that it is very much in the interests of the East European countries and Soviet Russia to attend the conference. It is not something they should decide not to attend because of a political point which is raised in other spheres. I recommend that the right hon. Gentleman thoroughly reads the report "Sinews for Strength", which I do not believe should be taken as an anti-growth document. It specifically states that it considers that the problems of growth in the future should be carefully 508 considered and that stopping growth is not the answer.