HL Deb 09 July 1991 vol 530 cc1314-5

3.7 p.m.

Lord Clinton-Davis: asked Her Majesty's Government:

How they have responded to the complaint registered with the European Commission to the effect that the Department of Transport refused to undertake an environmental impact assessment of the proposed M.11-A.12 link at Hackney Wick.

The Minister of State, Department of Transport (Lord Brabazon of Tara)

My Lords, a letter from the Commission about the A.12 Hackney to M.11 link road was received in June 1990, and a response was sent in August 1990. There has been no further correspondence. A full environmental assessment of the proposals was made. The information was available and was discussed at the public inquiries on the scheme.

Lord Clinton-Davis

My Lords, is the Minister aware that the Commission appears to have reopened the complaint that was made to it on the grounds that the Government were not carrying out a mandatory environmental impact assessment? Can the Minister confirm that this is the position vis-à-vis the Commission, or not?

Lord Brabazon of Tara

My Lords, I can assure the noble Lord that we have heard nothing from the Commission since we sent our response in August of last year.

Lord Boyd-Carpenter

My Lords, can my noble friend say what on earth this matter has to do with the Commission?

Lord Brabazon of Tara

My Lords, it does not; but it does now!

Lord Clinton-Davis

My Lords, that is a bewildering answer to a bewildering question. Is it not the duty of the Commission to ensure that the law is being complied with vis-à-vis the environmental impact assessment directive? Is that not the locus for the Commission? Following that, can the Minister explain why it is alleged by the Commission at the present time that the Government had informed it in August 1990 that there was no requirement for a mandatory environmental impact assessment? Is it not a fact that the Commission formed the view that when the Government alleged that pedestrians and cyclists were to be permitted access to the motorway, or to the road, thereby denying the call for an environmental impact assessment to be undertaken on a mandatory basis, the Commission subsequently learnt that that was quite untrue and that access of that kind was not to be permitted at all?

Lord Brabazon of Tara

My Lords, that has nothing to do with it. When I said to my noble friend Lord Boyd-Carpenter that it had nothing to do with the Commission, it did not, because these schemes were approved. Line orders were made back in 1986. The directive came into force in this country in 1988. Therefore our schemes pre-date the Commission's involvement in this matter.