§ Mr. McBrideasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has considered seeking to amend the Alkali Act in order to increase the powers of his Alkali Inspectorate.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerAs I said in answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Buckingham (Mr. Benyon) on 20th January last, the inspectorate's task is to enforce the Alkali Acts, which requires the owners of scheduled works to use the best practicable means to prevent the discharge of noxious emissions and render them harmless where discharged. While I am satisfied that the inspectorate's powers are adequate, I propose, subject to my consideration of the report of a recent public inquiry, to extend their scope by applying the Acts to certain industrial processes not previously scheduled.